Childproofing Your Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic

July 19, 2020 by

In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, many families are spending much more time at home. This has been challenging for parents trying to sustain daily schedules, manage virtual school work and activities, all while maintaining work from home or essential worker jobs. Many families are practically tripping over each other in their home, which is now serving as a place to work, play, learn, and exercise. And parents are being asked to multitask in ways that they typically have not been before. All of these circumstances lead to an increased need for childproofing around the home. Even if you feel your home is already a safe space for your child, it never hurts to take a look around with fresh eyes to see whether there are any holes in your safety strategy.

  • Anchor furniture. Use fasteners and brackets to ensure bookshelves, dressers and cabinets will not fall over. You can’t tell simply by looking at a piece of furniture whether it’s stable, so if your furniture isn’t already anchored to the wall, now is the time to do so.
  • Keep medicines and vitamins up and away and out of sight and reach of children. And keep medicines in their original child-resistant containers relocking safety caps after each use.
  • Store cleaning supplies carefully. Instead of keeping your cleaning supplies under the sink, put them in a higher cabinet or buy locks for the cabinet doors. Hand sanitizers pose an especially high risk to children right now because people are using them more often, and some are brightly colored which attracts curious littles. Most sanitizers contain at least 60 percent alcohol, potentially causing serious injury when consumed by a child. If someone in your home does consume a dangerous cleaning fluid, call poison control immediately, at 800-222-1222.
  • Use properly installed safety gates on stairs and lock any rooms where access needs to be monitored.
  • Maintain working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors throughout the home.
  • Never leave small children unattended around open windows. To help prevent children from climbing up to an open window, don’t place furniture near windows. Properly installed window guards are your best defense in preventing window falls. 
  • Give young children your full attention in the bathtub or around water. Teach children to never go near or in water without adult permission. Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 1-4.
  • Be sure and keep cribs clear of objects such as stuffed animals, bumpers and blankets. Hundreds of infants die each year due to suffocation or strangulation because of these objects in the crib.

At Sentry Window Guards we make it our mission to help keep families safe. We hope these tips will help you protect your children from home injuries during the Coronavirus pandemic. For more information regarding our window guard products and our experience and leadership in understanding NYC safety requirements, contact us today!

Filed Under: Child Safety, Safety Tips Tagged With: , ,

How to Prevent Heat Illness This Summer

June 18, 2020 by

Hot and humid New York City summer weather is not to be taken lightly. Due to the “urban heat island effect,” cities are significantly warmer than the surrounding suburbs and rural areas. Summer heat waves pose a serious public health threat. With prolonged exposure to high temperatures, people lose water and salt from sweating. This can cause symptoms of heat exhaustion – muscle cramps, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, and fainting. If left unchecked, heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke which can be fatal. Those most vulnerable to extreme heat include older adults, people with chronic medical conditions or mental health conditions and the socially isolated.

Prevent heat illness in yourself and others this summer.

  • Pay close attention to weather reports. It is not just about the temperature, you also need to keep an eye on the heat index which is a measure of how hot it feels based on temperature and humidity. A heat index above 95 degrees F is especially dangerous for older adults and other vulnerable individuals.
  • Stay cool by wearing loose-fitting, lightweight clothing that allows your skin to breath and drinking plenty of fluids. During a heat wave, stay in an air conditioned space. If that is not an option in your home, visit a friend’s house, a library, or a city cooling center. You can find a cooling center in NYC by calling 311. 
  • Keep your home cooler by closing shades or curtains during the day to block the sun and only using your stove and oven sparingly. You can also switch your incandescent bulbs out for energy-efficient light bulbs.. ENERGY STAR lighting produces 70 to 90 percent less heat than incandescent bulbs.

Businesses also need to put employee safety measures in place for outside work sites.

  • New employees who have not recently worked outdoors need to be slowly acclimated into hot weather work. New workers are most susceptible to heat-related medical problems.
  • Provide air-conditioned or shady areas for breaks.
  • Provide plenty of cool water and encourage workers to stay hydrated.
  • Encourage regular meals and snacks to replace lost electrolytes.
  • Train everyone to recognize and report the signs of heat exhaustion in themselves and others.
  • Schedule heavy work for earlier or later in the day instead of the hottest midday hours.

Know when to seek medical attention for heat illness.

If you are experiencing signs of heat exhaustion, stop all activity and rest in a cooler location while replacing lost fluids with water or a sports drink. If symptoms worsen or do not improve within one hour, it is time to seek medical attention. Additional symptoms that require medical attention related to heat illness include confusion, agitation, loss of consciousness, or the inability to drink fluids. 

At Sentry Window Guards we make it our mission to help keep families safe in New York. For more information regarding our window guard products and our expertise in understanding NYC safety requirements, contact us today!

 

Filed Under: Safety Tips Tagged With:

5 Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality in NYC Residences

March 18, 2020 by

Sentry Window Guards Installed 1150 window guards on the Tapestry Avenue Project.

Due to more New Yorkers being homebound right now, indoor air quality needs to be addressed more than ever!

While most expect poor indoor air quality (AIQ) to be at its worst “seasonally,” poor IAQ is actually a year-round issue that needs to be addressed. Poor IAQ can cause problems such as headaches, nausea, and eye and throat irritation. More serious risks can include asthma and allergies. Unfortunately children and the elderly are more at risk to experience symptoms of poor IAQ. Here are some common sources for poor IAQ and solutions to reduce the risks to help keep you and your family safe in your home:

  1. Interior paint & new carpets: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are gasses released by many household products such as interior paint and new carpets. Try to use a low concentration of VOC-paints and leave windows open and a fan running while painting. Choose low-VOC carpet to also help reduce the amount of VOC gasses emitted.
  1. Cleaning products: Try and avoid cleaning products containing chemicals such as ammonia and chlorine. Replace with hot water, baking soda and less-toxic cleaning products.
  1. HVAC systems: Systems with cracks, dirty air filters and poor ventilation can cause dangerous carbon monoxide buildup. Maintain your HVAC system on a regular basis by scheduling annual inspections and changing out air filters. Also make sure your carbon monoxide alarm is properly working with fresh batteries.
  1. Gas stoves: Improperly installed or vented stoves can dangerous. Vent the stove with a fan that blows properly and make sure burners are adjusted correctly.
  1. Cigarette smoke: If someone in your home is a smoker, the best solution is to have the smoker smoke outside. Also keep in mind that second hand and third hand (smoke that lingers in clothes, cushions and carpets) smoke can be especially harmful to children and the elderly.

At Sentry Window Guards we make it our mission to help keep families safe. While our business is to help prevent falls from windows, we also recognize the importance of safe air quality in homes. For more information regarding our window guard products and our experience and leadership in understanding NYC safety requirements, contact us today!

Filed Under: Child Safety, Safety Tips Tagged With: ,

Safety Prevention Saves Lives: A Real Life Tragedy

February 10, 2020 by

The following story is based on a real life experience. This type of tragedy can happen when the proper measures aren’t taken. And unfortunately this isn’t the only story regarding children falling out of windows to their death.

“A nine dollar window guard,” Jason says. “That’s all it would have taken to protect my son. And I didn’t even think about it.”

No parent should have to endure the trauma of having a child fall out of a window. Jason and Becca Cunningham* experienced just that when one of their three-year old sons fell from his second-story bedroom window. Although their son landed on his head on the concrete, suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and temporary paralysis, he did regain his health after intense, long-term therapy. With thousands of window fall accidents involving children in the U.S. each year, many stories don’t turn out with a happy ending. Many children die or sustain life-long injuries.

The Cunninghams did not reside in New York City, where homeowners must have window guards on their windows BY LAW if children 10 years or younger are living in the home. As a matter of fact, window safety wasn’t even on Jason and Becca’s radar as it probably isn’t with many families. Here are a few tips to help keep your home safer and prevent window fall accidents from occurring:

Tip #1 – Install window guards and stops. Properly installed window guards are your best defense in preventing window falls. Window stops are also a good idea to help allow you to enjoy a fresh breeze while ensuring windows won’t open wide enough to invite a fall.

Tip #2 – Open windows from the top and close after use. If you have windows that can open from top and bottom, choose opening the top versus the bottom to prevent falls. Don’t leave opened windows unattended if small children are present.

Tip #3 – Be sure windows are clear of chairs, cribs or other furniture being too close in proximity, especially if you have crawlers or climbers.

At Sentry Window Guards, our business is to keep children safe by preventing window fall accidents from occurring. For more information regarding our window guard products and our experience and leadership in understanding NYC safety requirements, contact us today!

 

*As a result of their traumatic experience, Jason and Becca became active members of the Stop at 4” Window Fall Prevention campaign in Portland, Oregon. Becca even went on to help educate other parents regarding the importance of window fall prevention with her book titled ‘If Kids Could Float!’

Filed Under: Child Safety, Safety Tips Tagged With: ,

4 Tips to Keep Your Pipes From Freezing This Winter

January 15, 2020 by

Having a busted frozen pipe in the middle of winter isn’t pleasant. Many don’t realize how much damage it can cause to a home. Here are 4 tips to take some preventative measures to help avoid a frozen pipe disaster this winter:

  1. FAUCETS: Let your faucets drip. The slow drip reduces the pressure in the water system. If a pipe freezes, it’s less likely to rupture when the pressure is lower. Especially focus on letting the faucet that is furthest away from the main pipeline drip because this line brings water into your house. More pipes will benefit from the main line being allowed to drip.
  1. OUTDOOR SPIGOTS: If you are in house, you should protect your outdoor spigots. Make sure all garden hoses are disconnected from outdoor spigots. Shut down the water supply to outside if possible and drain remaining water. Purchase inexpensive insulated domes to be placed around each spigot for optimum protection. If you are living in an apartment, you may want to confirm with your building manager that any outdoor spigots are protected.
  1. PIPES: Insulate pipes and exposed water supply lines. Look for pipes in unheated areas and those needing extra insulation such as in the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and under cabinets. Again, if you are living in an apartment, check with your building manager.
  1. GARAGE: If you have a garage, close it! Keep water supply lines in the garage warmer by minimizing length of time the garage doors are open. Do the opposite with kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors. Leave them open to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing.

As the temperatures continue to drop, practice these 4 tips to help prevent frozen pipes and potential damage to your home. Even a small burst pipe can become costly. If you live in an apartment, check with your building manager to see what preventative measures they are taking to avoid a frozen pipe disaster.

At Sentry Window Guards we make it our mission to help keep families safe. While our business is to help prevent falls from windows, we also recognize the importance of avoiding a frozen pipe disaster this winter. For more information regarding our window guard products and our experience and leadership in understanding New York safety requirements, contact us today!

Filed Under: Safety Tips, Winter Home Tips Tagged With: ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »