With parents having to work at home whilst managing childcare, safety in the home has never been more important, especially with families trying to keep hospital visits down to reduce the strain on the NHS.
In the current climate windows are playing a bigger part than ever, being a place to share hope, support and to communicate with neighbours and family.
But they also pose an incredible danger.
According to RoSPA, every year, 4,000 children are injured in falls from windows. In April, sadly a hospital in the US reported a doubling of visits to the ER from children falling from windows, and three children have been in the UK news in recent weeks from falling accidents .
With the lovely weather set to continue, and more time being spent at home, these stats are set to rise.
To help raise awareness of window safety and as part of our efforts to support Child Safety Week, we have put together 5 key tips to help prevent window falls, whilst still keeping life fun for little ones.
1. Keep windows locked (and the keys safely hidden) in children’s bedrooms when air flow isn’t needed.
Outside distractions can happen quickly and children unfortunately don’t understand the risks when opening their window to talk to their sibling in the garden, or the dog next door, so keeping the windows locked reduces the risk of a fall. Little eyes also seem to always know where the keys are hidden, so keeping them out of sight is recommended! When it’s hot or you want air-flow in the room, then fit a restrictor to allow a 100mm gap.
2. Ideally, try to keep bedroom furniture away from the window if possible, to make it harder for children to climb up onto windows.
This isn’t always possible due to room configurations, so if the only options are to have beds or shelves near to windows, making sure a restrictor or lock is fitted will help provide peace of mind.
3. Talk to children about window safety
If possible, explain to your child why being careful around the window is important. Talking about what happens to breakable toys that fall out of the window could be a good way of sharing what happens, without scaring them .
4. Ensure that you have a British Standard approved window restrictor
There are many window restrictors in the market, but not all are manufactured to the same quality and meet, or exceed British Standards. Make sure you know what you are buying and are reassured that the restrictor has met all of the strength, tensile and force tests to prevent it breaking under pressure . Window restrictors should allow a 100mm opening gap, meaning that once you’ve chosen a quality restrictor, you can feel safe that your windows can be left open with the restrictor in place when children are playing.
5. Once it’s safe, promote adventurous play in bedrooms!
At Jackloc, we pride ourselves on quality in everything that we do. Our window restrictors are independently tested to exceed British Standards and to withhold a force of between 58 – 74 stone, depending on the restrictor type, making them the strongest in the world. If you would like to discuss your individual needs, or book a virtual site survey, please get in touch.