Key takeaways

• BS EN 13120:2009+A1:2014 is the British and European safety standard covering internal window coverings, and its scope explicitly includes plantation shutters, not just blinds.
• Where a cord is present, the standard requires the bottom of an accessible cord loop to sit at least 1.5 metres from the floor, reduced to 60cm if a breakaway device is fitted.
• A breakaway device is designed to separate the cord under roughly 6kg of applied force, calibrated to release before a loop can tighten around a child.
• The rules apply wherever children aged 0 to 42 months are likely to have access or be present, which in practice covers almost every domestic room in a family home.
• Rod-operated or hidden-tilt shutters, the standard configuration for the great majority of plantation shutters sold in the UK, have no accessible cord at all, making them a genuinely strong default choice for a nursery once you understand the mechanism.

 

Does BS EN 13120 Apply to Shutters?

Yes, and this is the single most under-communicated fact in the entire UK shutter industry. BS EN 13120:2009+A1:2014, the standard introduced in the UK in 2014 following a series of child fatalities linked to blind cords, was written to cover internal window coverings broadly, and its scope explicitly names plantation shutters alongside Venetian, roller, vertical and Roman blinds, along with pleated and honeycomb blinds and roll-up blinds.

Search almost any UK shutter retailer’s website and you’ll find plenty of content about insulation, noise reduction and style, and very little, often nothing at all, about this standard applying to their products. That’s not because shutters are exempt, they aren’t, it’s because the industry has largely built its marketing around the correct, but incomplete, fact that a standard shutter’s louvre tilt rod isn’t a cord and therefore doesn’t need the same treatment as a corded roller blind. That’s true as far as it goes, but it’s told the story only for the most common configuration, not for shutters generally.

 

 

Why Most Plantation Shutters Are Genuinely Low Risk

The vast majority of plantation shutters sold in the UK use a rigid tilt rod, either a visible rod running down the centre of the panel or a hidden mechanism built into the frame edge, to control the angle of the louvres. This rod is a solid piece of hardware, not a cord or chain, and it presents no looped or hanging element that could form a strangulation hazard the way an accessible pull cord can.

This is genuinely good news, and it’s worth saying plainly rather than burying it in caveats: for the standard louvre tilt mechanism, plantation shutters are inherently safer by design than a corded blind, in the sense that there’s no cord to manage, secure or fit with a breakaway device in the first place. This is a structural safety advantage, not a marketing claim.

 

Where the Real Risk Sits: Cords on Certain Shutter Mechanisms

Where this gets genuinely important is in shutter configurations that do use a cord or chain, which is more common than most people assume, and almost never flagged clearly at the point of sale.

• Sliding and bi-fold track shutters.
  Some sliding or folding shutter systems use a pull cord or chain to move the panels along the track, rather than a simple hand-operated slide. If your chosen configuration includes this kind of mechanism, that cord falls under exactly the same BS EN 13120 requirements as a corded blind, cord clearance, breakaway devices, the lot.
• Café style shutters with a corded top rail in some ranges.
  Certain café style shutter products, where only the lower half of the window is covered, use a corded mechanism for the panel rather than a fixed hinge, depending on the manufacturer and range.

 

The point isn’t that any of these are inherently dangerous products when properly specified and fitted, it’s that the blanket statement “shutters don’t have cords” is only true for the most common, rod-operated configuration, and anyone buying a shutter with an unusual sliding, folding or assisted mechanism should specifically ask whether a cord or chain is involved anywhere in the system.

 

What BS EN 13120 Actually Requires, in Real Numbers

Where a cord or chain is present in any internal window covering, blind or shutter, the standard sets out specific, measurable requirements, not vague guidance.

• Cord clearance from the floor.
  The bottom of an accessible cord loop must sit at least 1.5 metres from the floor. This is the default requirement without any additional safety device fitted.
• Breakaway devices reduce the clearance requirement.
  If a breakaway device, a fitting designed to separate the cord under load rather than let it form a fixed loop, is installed, the minimum clearance can be reduced to 60cm from the floor, since the breakaway itself removes the fixed-loop hazard.
• The force calibration for breakaway devices.
  These devices are designed to release when roughly 6kg of force is applied to the cord, either gradually or within five seconds of the force being applied. This figure is calibrated specifically to release under a child’s body weight before a dangerous loop can tighten.
• The age range the standard is written around.
  The requirements apply wherever children aged 0 to 42 months, up to three and a half years old, are likely to have access or be present. In practical terms, this covers virtually every room in a family home, not just a designated nursery, since the standard doesn’t assume you can reliably predict which rooms a toddler will and won’t enter.

 

Shutters vs Corded Blinds: A Genuine Safety Comparison

This is worth stating honestly rather than as a sales pitch either way, since both product categories can be made safe, and both can present a real hazard if the wrong configuration is chosen without understanding the mechanism.

A rod-operated or hidden-tilt shutter has no cord at all in the primary mechanism, which removes the hazard structurally rather than managing it with an add-on device. A well-specified cordless blind achieves the same outcome by a different route. A corded blind with safety devices fitted, cleats, tensioners, breakaway connectors, manages a real hazard down to a compliant level, but doesn’t remove the underlying cord from the room. A shutter with an unflagged sliding or assisted cord mechanism carries the same category of risk as a corded blind, whatever the word “shutter” might suggest to a parent assuming it’s automatically cord free.

The genuinely useful takeaway here isn’t “shutters are safer than blinds” as a blanket statement, it’s “ask specifically what mechanism your chosen product uses, and don’t assume based on the product category alone.”

 

Which Shutter Configurations Are Best for a Nursery?

• Rod-operated full height shutters or tier on tier shutters
  are the strongest default choice for a nursery or young child’s bedroom, since the standard louvre tilt rod presents no cord hazard at all, and the panel itself, once installed, has no ongoing operating cord to manage, secure or monitor as the child grows.
• Hidden tilt mechanism shutters
  achieve the same cord free outcome as a visible centre rod, with the added benefit of a cleaner look, since there’s no visible rod down the centre of the panel. Functionally, for safety purposes, hidden tilt and visible rod are equivalent, both are rigid mechanisms with no cord.
• Café style shutters, checked for mechanism.
  Given that some café style ranges use a corded top rail depending on the manufacturer, this is specifically worth confirming before ordering for a nursery, since the style itself doesn’t guarantee a cord-free mechanism the way a standard full height or tier on tier rod-operated shutter does.
• Sliding or bi-fold track shutters, checked for mechanism.
  As above, confirm specifically whether the track system uses a cord or chain anywhere in its operation before specifying this style for a room where a young child will spend significant time.

 

Retrofitting Older Shutters or Blinds for Child Safety

If you already have shutters or blinds fitted before a young child arrived in the household, or before BS EN 13120’s 2014 requirements were introduced, it’s worth reviewing what’s currently fitted rather than assuming everything already installed is automatically compliant.

• For existing rod-operated shutters,
  there’s typically nothing further needed, since there’s no cord to manage in the first place. It’s still worth checking there’s no separate pull cord anywhere in the room, such as an older festoon blind or curtain tie left over from a previous fit out.
• For existing corded blinds,
  retrofitting a breakaway device, cord cleat or tensioner brings an older installation up to a safer standard, though a genuinely cordless replacement removes the hazard entirely rather than managing it.
• For any shutter with a sliding, folding or assisted mechanism,
  it’s worth having the specific mechanism checked by whoever fitted it, or by a new supplier if the original installer isn’t available, rather than assuming the word “shutter” means automatically cord free.

 

Why Child Safe Claims on Shutter Websites Are Often Incomplete

Search “child safe shutters” and most results will confidently state that shutters are safe for children, full stop, usually pointing only to the absence of a cord on the standard tilt mechanism. This is true as far as it goes, but it’s an incomplete answer dressed up as a complete one, and it’s worth understanding why that matters.

A genuinely accurate “child safe” claim needs to specify which mechanism it’s talking about. “Our full height shutters with a rod tilt mechanism have no cord and present no strangulation hazard” is a precise, checkable, honest claim. “Shutters are child safe” as a blanket statement about the entire product category isn’t, because it quietly assumes every customer is buying the standard rod-operated configuration, when a meaningful minority of shutter orders, particularly sliding, bi-fold and certain café style ranges, may include a cord depending on the manufacturer.

This isn’t a criticism specific to any one retailer, it’s a pattern across the industry, and it’s exactly the kind of gap that leaves a parent making an assumption about a product’s safety based on marketing language rather than the actual mechanism fitted in their home.

 

Myths About Shutters and Child Safety

• Shutters don’t have cords, so BS EN 13120 doesn’t apply to them.
  Partly true, seriously incomplete. The standard louvre tilt mechanism has no cord, but the standard itself explicitly includes shutters in its scope, and some shutter configurations do use cords. The right statement is “the standard rod mechanism has no cord,” not “shutters are exempt from the standard.”
• If a product is marketed as a shutter, it’s automatically safer than a blind.
  Not universally true. A rod-operated shutter is structurally cord free, which is a genuine safety advantage. A corded sliding shutter carries the same category of hazard as a corded blind, regardless of being called a shutter.
• Only the nursery needs child safe window coverings.
  The standard is written around wherever a child aged 0 to 42 months is likely to have access, not a single designated room. A toddler exploring a house doesn’t respect room labels, and a corded blind in a spare room or landing carries the same real hazard as one in the nursery itself.
• Older shutters fitted years ago don’t need checking.
  If they’re rod-operated, this is broadly true, since there’s never been a cord to become non-compliant. If any part of the mechanism uses a cord or chain, it’s worth checking against current standards regardless of installation date, since safety devices and requirements have been refined since the standard’s introduction.

 

Shutter Child Safety: The Suitability Matrix

 

Who This Guide Is For

Any parent, grandparent or carer choosing shutters for a nursery, playroom or any room a young child will spend meaningful time in, and anyone reviewing existing shutters or blinds in a home where a baby or toddler has recently arrived or started exploring more independently.

 

Who This Guide Isn’t For

If your home has no children under about four years old and isn’t likely to have any visiting regularly, BS EN 13120’s specific cord clearance and breakaway requirements matter less directly to you, though a rod-operated shutter remains a sensible, low-maintenance choice regardless of the safety angle.

 

 

Common Mistakes When Assessing Shutter Safety

• Assuming shutters as a category means automatically cord free.
  True for the standard rod-operated mechanism, not universally true across every shutter configuration on the market. Always confirm the specific mechanism for the product you’re ordering
• Only child-proofing the designated nursery.
  The standard is written around wherever a child aged 0 to 42 months is likely to have access, which includes hallways, playrooms, and any adult bedroom a toddler might wander into, not just the room labelled as theirs.
• Assuming an older installation is automatically non-compliant, or automatically fine.
  Neither assumption is safe. Older corded blinds fitted before 2014 may lack modern safety devices and are worth reviewing. A rod-operated shutter fitted at any date carries no cord hazard regardless of when it was installed.
• Not asking directly about café style or sliding shutter mechanisms.
  These are the configurations most likely to include a cord that isn’t obvious from the product name or general description. A direct question to the supplier resolves this quickly and should be asked before ordering, not after.

 

Are Plantation Shutters Child Safe FAQ

1. Do plantation shutters need to comply with BS EN 13120?
   Yes. The standard’s scope explicitly includes plantation shutters alongside blinds. Where a shutter uses a cord or chain in any part of its mechanism, that element must meet the same requirements as a corded blind.
2. Is the centre tilt rod on a shutter a safety hazard?
   No. The standard tilt rod, whether a visible centre rod or a hidden mechanism, is a rigid piece of hardware, not a cord or chain, so it doesn’t present the looped-cord strangulation hazard the standard is designed to address.
3. Are all shutters automatically cord free?
   No, and this is the most important nuance in this whole topic. The standard rod-operated mechanism used in most full height and tier on tier shutters is cord free. Some sliding, bi-fold or café style configurations do use a cord or chain, depending on the specific product and manufacturer. Always confirm the mechanism for your chosen configuration.
4. What does BS EN 13120 require where a cord is present?
   The bottom of an accessible cord loop must sit at least 1.5 metres from the floor, reduced to 60cm if a breakaway device is fitted. Breakaway devices are calibrated to separate the cord under roughly 6kg of applied force, releasing before a loop can tighten around a child.
5. What age range does the standard apply to?
   Children aged 0 to 42 months, up to three and a half years old. In practice this covers almost every domestic room, since a toddler’s access isn’t confined to a single designated nursery.
6. Are rod-operated shutters better than cordless blinds for a nursery?
   Both achieve the same practical outcome, no accessible cord in the room, by different routes. A rod-operated shutter is structurally cord free from the outset. A genuinely cordless blind removes the cord through the product design. Either is a strong, safe choice; the deciding factor is usually cost, style and the specific window, not a meaningful safety difference between the two.
7. Can I retrofit safety devices to an older shutter?
   If your shutter uses the standard rod-operated mechanism, there’s typically no cord to retrofit anything to in the first place. If your shutter uses a sliding, folding or assisted mechanism with a cord, it’s worth having that specific mechanism checked and, if needed, fitted with the appropriate safety device.
8. Do commercial premises need to follow the same shutter safety rules?
   BS EN 13120’s specific cord clearance requirements apply wherever children aged 0 to 42 months are likely to have access or be present. Premises where children are genuinely unlikely to have access, such as most offices, aren’t subject to the same specific requirements, though installers will generally still fit compliant safety devices as standard practice.
9. Should I ask my supplier directly about cord mechanisms before ordering shutters for a child’s room?
   Yes, always. This is the single most useful question you can ask, since it resolves the genuine ambiguity in this topic directly rather than relying on assumptions based on the product category alone.
10. How much do child safe shutters cost compared to standard shutters?
    Please call or WhatsApp us on 07852 257 307 for a price. Rod-operated and hidden tilt shutters, the configurations we’d recommend for a nursery, are our standard offering, and we’re happy to talk through exactly which mechanism suits your window before quoting.