National Window Safety Week
April 4 – 10, 2022
“Spring has sprung” and as the weather becomes warmer, households will begin turning off their home heating equipment and inserting window screens to enjoy the cool spring breeze that a screen provides. While screens for some may be comforting, for others they are dangerous even deadly, especially for small children.
Each year, children die and are injured from window falls. Children under the age of 5 are at the highest risk for such falls due to their curiosity and/or focus on a toy, a pet, or any number of things while playing near a screened window resulting in an unintentional injury or death. Although the majority of children that fall from windows reside in urban areas, falls do occur, from a first or second-story window, in homes or apartments.
National Window Safety Week is April 4th – 10th. Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department, in conjunction with health and safety organizations/agencies across the U.S., are urging the public to get involved, year-round, at home, school and in neighborhoods to help reduce unintentional injuries among children by understanding the role of windows. Windows are two-fold; while vital in escaping a home fire or other emergencies, parents and guardians need to understand the importance of protecting against accidental window falls. Listed below are window safety tips to keep your little ones safe:
Window Safety Tips
• Keep children away from open windows.
• Install window guards or window stop devices that prevent windows from opening more than 4 inches (educate family members, older children, and adults, on how to release window guards in the event of a fire or other emergency that requires evacuation).
o If you equip windows in your home with window guards or fall prevention devices, use those that comply with ASTM F2090, which utilize quick-release mechanisms.
• Open windows from the top and close them after use.
Keep climbable objects, i.e., furniture, beds, toy chests, etc., away from windows.
• DO NOT place toys and other inviting objects on windowsills.
• Check to make sure porch and balcony railings are spaced 4” apart or less.
• Corded window coverings can cause strangulation; use only cordless window coverings or those with inaccessible cords in homes with young children.
o Free retrofit kits are available through the Window Covering Safety Council when replacement of older corded window coverings is not an option. Visit https://windowcoverings.org/window-cord-safety/.
• ALWAYS provide adult supervision for children around open windows or in risky environments.
Chief Wayne Haight states, “It’s important to remember that windows play a vital role in fire safety and should be considered as an alternative exit when planning a home fire escape plan. It’s also important to remember that windows pose a threat to young children when left open and unattended. Be vigilant in taking the necessary precautions of safely securing windows to ensure your child’s safety.”
For additional information on window safety, visit the National Safety Council https://www.nsc.org/community-safety/safety-topics/child-safety/window-safety
and Safe Kids Worldwide at http://safekids.org/blog/window-safety and
www.safekids.org.