Notice to Stakeholders – New Requirements for Corded Window Coverings
Overview
On May 1, 2021, the new Corded Window Covering Regulations (CWCR) under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) came into force.
Requirements under the CWCR serve an important purpose to help eliminate the strangulation hazard associated with corded window coverings and help protect the health and safety of children. More specifically, the CWCR seek to address the root cause of the pathway to injury or death by strangulation by restricting the length of reachable cords and the size of loops that can be created by a cord, among other requirements.
Health Canada's Compliance and Enforcement Approach
The CWCR is in force as of May 1, 2021. Protecting Canada's children and the health and safety of Canadians is a collective responsibility. It is Health Canada's expectation that the corded window covering industry plays a strong and visible role in this regard and complies with the new regulatory requirements.
That said, Health Canada recognizes the unprecedented circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and intends to take into account the impact it is having on the ability of businesses to comply with the CWCR requirements when addressing non-compliance with the CWCR, among other relevant factors. In response to the disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Canada plans to take the following approach to compliance and enforcement regarding the new CWCR requirements:
- From May 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022, Health Canada intends to prioritize promoting awareness of and compliance with the CWCR. Health Canada will also be monitoring progress towards compliance; and
- As of May 1, 2022, Health Canada intends to increase its compliance monitoring activities and the taking of enforcement action, where necessary, to address identified instances of non-compliance to the CWCR.
Health Canada's approach was chosen after considering a number of factors, including input from stakeholder consultations.
Additional Considerations – Incidents, Complaints or Level of Risk
Health Canada will enforce the CWCR anytime on or after May 1, 2021, if warranted, for example based on incidents, complaints, or the level of risk. However, Health Canada's proactive activities will focus on compliance promotion looking toward May 1, 2022.
The Scope of the Regulatory Requirements: Is your product subject to the CWCR?
The CWCR are made under the authority of the CCPSA. Products that are "consumer products" to which the CCPSA applies and are "corded window coverings" as defined in the CWCR are in scope of the CWCR and are subject to all of its requirements.
"consumer product" means a product, including its components, parts or accessories, that may reasonably be expected to be obtained by an individual to be used for non-commercial purposes, including for domestic, recreational and sports purposes, and includes its packaging."
"corded window covering" means an indoor window covering that is equipped with at least one cord.
For additional guidance, Health Canada's Consumer and Hazardous Products Safety Directorate has developed various documents including Question & Answer documents and a Corded Window Coverings Test Method (M22) related to the CWCR.
Contact Us
For questions related to the Corded Window Coverings Regulations or to request a copy of related guidance documents, please contact a Health Canada Consumer Product Safety Office via email (hc.ccpsa-lcspc.sc@canada.ca) or telephone at 1-866-662-0666 (toll-free within Canada and the United States).
Stakeholders are encouraged to subscribe to the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act electronic listserv to receive up-to-date information regarding the CCPSA or the CWCR.
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