Window Safety
Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury in the home. Many accidents happen due to unrestricted windows where children have access.
If you have double hung windows, open them from the top whenever possible but if you need to open them from the bottom keep it to no more than four inches to prevent a child from falling out.
Products such as window restrictors can be easily installed to prevent a window from opening more than a certain amount.
For windows that are low to the floor, have a window box seat or are otherwise accessible to small children. Install child window guards that will protect the window but have an easy open mechanism in case of an emergency.
Move chairs, tables or beds that are underneath a window or any object nearby that a child could pull over to the window to climb up and look out.
Don’t assume that falls will only happen to toddlers. Older children are just as likely to jump on a bed, lose their balance and end up crashing out of a window.
Unfortunately window falls are something that most parents don’t think will happen until they hear about a tragedy in their community or within the family. It takes only a short time to protect your windows and add one more layer of safety to your home.