Window Guards Save Lives
At Sentry Window Guards our main focus is your child’s safety. We provide various types of childproof window locking mechanisms and safety devices for your home or building. Contact us today for a full list services we offer.
Window guards are a critical and sometimes overlooked product for the safety of children, particularly those under 5 years of age. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that each year more than 5,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries received from falling from a window. Most of the injuries and deaths of this nature were to children under the age of 5.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are window guards hard to install?
No. Window guards can be easily installed in windows. They serve to help prevent a child from falling from the window when it is open.
How do window guards work?
Window guards are screwed into the sides of the window frame. They need to be securely screwed into the window frame because window guards that are only spring-loaded can be easily dislodged by a child. Window guards should also have bars no more than 4 inches (10 cm) apart to keep a child from getting between the bars and falling out the window.
What about window stops?
Window stops are also very useful as a safety device. Some new windows today come with window stops already installed to prevent the windows from opening more than 4 inches (10 cm). If your windows don’t already have stops, give us a call and we’ll add them to your frame.
What are the guidelines for buying and maintaining window guards in New York?
Each year, young children are injured or die in falls from unguarded windows. These are preventable deaths and injuries. Owners have a responsibility to ensure that window guards are properly installed. Local Law 57 of 2011 authorizes HPD to issue violations for failure to install proper window guards, and to seek penalties for noncompliance. The window guard law requires owners to send an annual notice to tenants of multiple dwellings (buildings of three or more apartments) regarding window guards. It also requires owners to provide and properly install approved window guards on all windows, including first floor bathrooms, windows leading onto a balcony or terrace in an apartment where a child 10 years of age or younger resides, and windows in each common area, on any floor. The exceptions to this law are windows that open onto a fire escape, and windows on the first floor that are a required secondary exit, since the fire escapes start on the second floor.
If tenants or occupants want window guards for any reason, even if there are no resident children 10 years of age or younger, the tenant can request the window guards in writing and the landlord must install them. For example, occupants who have visiting grandchildren, parents who share custody and occupants who provide child care may wish to request window guards.
Call 311 if required or requested window guards have not been installed or if they appear to be insecure or improperly installed, or if there is more than 4½ inches of open unguarded space in the window opening.
Where can I get more information about buying window guards?
Call us today for answers to your most pressing window guard questions. We’ll find a solution!
