Each year 5,000 children suffer falls out of open windows. As the weather warms and we once again start opening our windows to let the outside air in, there is an increased risk to young kids that we often don’t think about.
The first week of April is Window Safety Week, bringing awareness to this frequently-forgotten safety issue. Young children should be under constant supervision to prevent injury, but we all know that things happen when we look away for two seconds. So while you should always watch your child closely around open windows, here are some additional tips to prevent window falls:
- DO NOT rely on window screens to keep your child safe. They are not designed to hold a child’s weight, and frequently children fall because they accidentally push out the screen.
- Keep furniture away from windows to prevent climbing.
- Use window stops to prevent windows from opening wide enough for a child to fit through. Most kids can fit into a 6-inch opening. Keep window openings to 4 inches or less.
- If your window is accessible to your child, install a window guard which covers the lower part of the window.
- When installing new windows, choose double-hung that open from both the top and the bottom. If your windows have a top-open feature, choose this one when ventilating your home with small children.
- Move toys away from the window to entice your child to play in other areas of the room.
- Install child-proof window locks.
- Explain the importance of window safety to other members of your family, including school-aged children who may open windows without realizing the risks to younger siblings.
Some additional things worth mentioning with regards to window safety:
- DO NOT permanently screw windows shut. Windows are needed for escape in the event of an emergency and making permanent alterations which affect their ability to open can be life-threatening.
- Install cord-free blinds or make sure blind cords are well out of reach from your child to prevent a strangulation risk.
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