5 Window Safety Tips

According to SafeKids.org, 127 children in the U.S. died in 2010 from fall-related injuries. Many of these fatalities were due to children falling out of windows in their homes. There are precautions you can take to avoid falls in your home. Let’s take a look at five window safety tips, which can help make your house a safer place:

1. Install window guards. According to the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, window guards can prevent falls. On the other hand, screens alone cannot. Window guards are made up of bars that are no more than 4 inches apart. This prevents children from getting in between the bars and falling out of a window.

2. Open windows from the top. Some windows can be opened from both the top and the bottom. Try to get into the habit of opening your windows from the top, which can help prevent accidental falls. When not using your windows, always keep them locked.

3. Move furniture away from windows. When young children start crawling and climbing, tragedy can happen in an instant. Keep furniture like cribs and chairs away from windows so that toddlers do not have access.

4. Come up with an escape plan. If your child doesn’t know what to do in case of an emergency, he or she may go straight to the windows. That’s one reason why coming up with an emergency escape plan is so important.

5. Install stops. Window guards aren’t made for all windows. For example, emergency escape windows cannot be covered by window guards. Installing window stops ensures that a window cannot be opened more than 4 inches.

Old windows can pose a safety risk as well. If you think your windows need updating, call the experts of Superior Windowland today at (203) 948-7770. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and add us to your circles on Google+ for more tips.