WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) announced today the approval of the new standard that strengthens window-covering safety in the United States. The latest revision, ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2012, was updated in strict accordance with the internationally-respected American National Standards Institute (ANSI) process and is the sixth revision of the standard since 1996. The update to the standard was developed in strict accordance with the ANSI essential requirements, which mandate an open and balanced process with public review opportunities. The year-long process required assembling a consensus body (the canvass group), submitting the draft standard to the canvass group for ballot and comment, addressing the comments received, re-balloting, a public review period and then finally achieving approval of the standard. The updates included in the ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2012 standard provides multiple options for achieving compliance without mandating any particular technology or solution. The updates include the following changes that strengthen the industry's safety standard: • Adds requirements for durability and performance testing of the tension/hold down devices, including new requirements for anchoring, specific installation instructions and warnings. • Provides a way to address new innovations for controlling cords that do not use tension devices. • Adds new requirements for products that rely on "wide lift bands" to raise and lower window coverings. • Requires a warning label and pictograms on the outside of stock packaging and merchandising materials for corded products. • Adds and expands testing requirements for cord accessibility, hazardous loop testing, Roll Up style shade performance, and durability testing of all safety devices. To learn more in detail about the updated standard on window-covering safety, please visit www.wcmanet.org.
