The Importance of Window Guards

July 22, 2015 by

In 2011 a study was done and it found that approximately 5200 children or 14 kids per day are injured in the U.S. due to falls from windows, and most could be prevented with window guards or safety measures.

From 1990 – 2008 an estimated 98,415 children were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries caused by falls from windows. Injuries ranged from cuts and bruises to fatal head injuries, and young children were most at risk for serious injuries.

Researchers say it was the first study to look at the risk factors and injuries associated with children’s falls from windows. The results suggest that many of these injuries could be prevented with window guards or simple steps, such as moving furniture away from windows, installing locks, and placing plant beds or bushes under windows.

Window Fall Risks

Researchers found the following factors were associated with window falls:

  • Boys were more likely than girls to fall out of windows and accounted for 58% of window fall injuries.
  • Falls from windows were more common in spring and summer months.
  • One-fourth of the window fall-related injuries required hospitalization.
  • Children under 5 years were more likely to suffer serious injuries from a window fall and three times more likely to suffer a head injury.

The study also showed that the type of landing surface plays a major role in the severity of head injuries caused by window falls. Children who landed on a hard surface, such as concrete, were twice as likely to suffer head injuries, be hospitalized, or die from their injuries compared with those who landed on cushioned surfaces.

How to Improve Window Safety

The best way to improve safety is to install window guards or locks that prevent the window from opening more than 4 inches. If you rent in New York City, the NYC Health Code requires owners of buildings of 3 or more apartments to provide and properly install approved window guards on all windows in an apartment where a child (or children) 10 years of age or younger reside and in each hallway window.

If you live outside of New York City, cannot afford window guards or reside in a building not covered by the law, consider planting bushes or creating flower beds underneath windows.  These plantings will help cushion the landing surface and reduce the impact of falls from windows for children of all ages.  Another step to increase window safety includes reducing access to windows by moving furniture away from windows.

In New York City, Who Can Request Window Guards?

Anyone in a building covered by the law can request window guards, even if there are no children living with you. For instance:

  • you have friends or family with young children who visit
  • you sometimes babysit for children in your apartment
  • you have grandchildren visiting
  • you have older relatives who might accidentally fall
  • you are a grandparent

If tenants or occupants want window guards for any reason, even if there are no resident children in the covered age category, they should request them in writing and they may not be refused.

Help Getting Window Guards

In New York City, if your landlord refuses to install window guards or if they are not properly installed, call 311.

For more information, click on the link below.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/environmental/window-falls.shtml

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/

http://www.nyc.gov/

Filed Under: Child Safety, Tips on Window Guards

PSA: 3-Year-Old Girl Falls Out of 3rd-Story Window in Brooklyn

May 28, 2015 by

A 3-year-old girl fell out a third-floor apartment window in Brooklyn Wednesday evening, authorities say, sending her mother into hysterics and shocking neighbors, according to witnesses.

» Read the full story here
(Published Thursday, May 28, 2015)

Filed Under: Child Safety

Window Guards are Required! It’s the Law!

March 2, 2015 by

New York City Health Department code requires landlords of multiple dwelling (three apartments or more) to provide, install and maintain approved window guards in apartment and public hallways windows where children under 11 years old reside. Landlords are also required to install window guards when requested by the tenant even if no child under 11 years old resides in the household.

Windows should not open more than 4.5 inches above the window guard; window stoppers must be placed on window frames to prevent the window from opening more than the specified (4.5 inches) height. In addition, window guards must be installed using one-way or tamperproof screws .

Exceptions are made if:

• The window provides access to the fire escape.
• The window is a secondary egress in a first floor apartment where there are fire escapes on upper floors.
• A window has a permanently mounted and properly installed air conditioner.

» View/print this handy PDF for more valuable information.

Filed Under: Child Safety

Child Safety for the New Year

December 28, 2014 by

Our friends at WebMD.com have given us some excellent reminders on some of the best ways to childproof your home. While we all know that window guards are critical to your child’s safety in New York and surrounding areas, there are a host of other things you can do to improve the safety of your home for the little ones.

Accidental injury is one of the top killers of children in the U.S. and with the proper forethought, prevention can eliminate almost all of these kinds of incidents.

Take the proper safety measures and childproofing steps to keep your family safe at home.

The Kitchen

·         Install safety latches on all cabinets and drawers to keep children from household products. Anything you know to be poisonous, place out of reach of children and lock it up.

·         Store household products and medicine away from food and beverages.

·         Use the stove’s back burners and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove to keep hot pots and pans out of the reach of children.

·         Keep kitchenware and appliances out of reach and away from the edge of counters and tables.

·         Put visual reminders like the Mr. Yuk stickers from poison prevention centers on potential poisonous or hazardous items. Keep the poison center phone number (1-800-222-1222) somewhere visible as well.

·         While answering the door or phone, take open household products with you.

The Bathroom

·         Install safety latches on cabinets and drawers to keep children from potentially poisonous household products.

·         Store medicines and other products in their original containers.

·         Install toilet locks to keep toilet lids closed. Children are more top-heavy than adults and can lean and fall into a toilet easily. They also can drown in just one inch of water.

·         Install anti-scalding devices on faucets and shower heads to prevent burns. Also set the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees. It takes just three seconds for a child to sustain a third-degree burn from water at 140 degrees.

·         Unplug hair dryers and electric rollers after use to prevent electrocution from contact with water in the bathroom. Also keep them away from curious children to prevent burns.

·         Cover unused electrical outlets with outlet protectors or safety caps. Make sure outlets in the bathroom and kitchen — or near any water source — are updated with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), which turn off electricity if appliances fall into water. For outlets in use, especially those low to the ground, there are devices which make it difficult to pull out plugs.

Around the House

·         Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs and in the doorways of rooms with hazards. Gates with expanding pressure bars should not be used for the top of staircases. Use gates hardware-mounted to the door frame instead.

·         Use doorknob covers to keep children away from rooms and other areas with hazards, such as swimming pools. Be careful, though, that these devices are easy for adults to use in case of emergency.

·         Put corner and edge bumpers on furniture and other items like a fireplace hearth to protect against injury.

·         Place furniture away from high windows so children won’t climb onto windowsills. Screens aren’t strong enough to keep children from falling through windows.

·         Make sure window blinds do not have looped cords — they can be strangulation hazards for children. Blinds, shades, and draperies purchased before 2001 should be repaired or replaced. Also, always lock blinds into position whether they are all the way up or down.

·         Remove free-falling lids from toy chests, which should have lids that stays open or very light, removable ones.

·         Prevent furniture from tipping by securing bookcases, shelving, and heavy furniture to walls with brackets and anchors. When storing items, put heavier items on bottom shelves and in bottom drawers.

·         For more information about protecting your child at home, see these other sections in our Prescription for a Healthy Home guide:

Remember that childproofing your home can never be 100% effective against injury. Supervise your children at all times. Contact Sentry Window Guards if you’d like more information on how our products can help ensure your children’s safety!

FROM: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/childproof-home

Filed Under: Child Safety Tagged With: ,
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