As per the National Safety Council’s statistic, 3300 children under the age of five are seriously injured from falling out of a window. Windows provide a nice breeze, sunlight, and an emergency escape route but without proper education or care they can be a huge risk to the safety of your children.
Here are some basic window safety tips to make sure children are safe in your home:
1. Avoid purchasing window coverings with dangling cords if possible. Many window covering manufacturers product shades standard with cordless lift. If you have hanging cords, be sure to wrap them up as high in the window frame as possible. Nearly one child per month dies from entanglement in a window covering cord (according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) See example below:
1. If a window is open for air flow, be sure it is not within a child’s reach.
2. Keep open windows no more than 4” and use a stop guard to prevent kids from opening the window further.
3. When windows are closed, be sure they are in locked position.
4. Screens are meant for insect protection and cannot hold a child’s weight in the event of a fall.
5. Keep furniture away from windows to prevent children from climbing on the furniture and falling into or through the window.
6. Educate your child on the dangers of windows. The National Safety Council is an excellent resource for more information on child window safety, click here.