Safe Windows Are Essential In Preventing Falls

Protect Your Children From Falling From Windows

5,000. That’s approximate the yearly number, as of 2011, of young children who are admitted to emergency departments across the country due to injuries sustained from falling out of windows. That’s approximately 14 kids a day. The majority of the injuries happen to kids between the ages of 0-4 – this is the age when kids are curious, when they’re little explorers who will without a doubt investigate everything they see, including an open window. This is also the age when the center of their gravity is nearer their chest, so when they investigate that window, they lean out and they topple.

These accidents can cause injuries from broken bones to injuries to the face and head. These are accidents that often end in hospitalization, accumulating extensive medical expenses and possible future impediments to the child’s life. Imagine this being your child.

These are accident that could be prevented if the appropriate safety features are used: homes should be equipped with widow guards and locks; widows should be made to refrain from opening too wide, perhaps no more than 4 inches; windows should not be unusually low to the ground, within reach of young children; there should be safety devices such as a child-safe screen or a baby gate over the windows; these are all safety features that can help prevent the fall and keep your child from possibly severe injuries. In homes that you rent or lease, implementing these is the responsibility of your landlord.

Unfortunately as there are no specific laws or regulations governing window safety, landlords are often negligent in providing these safety features or devices, resulting in children toppling out of the windows and receiving injuries that could affect them for the rest of their lives. The people or companies that own the property (your home or apartment) should not get away with failing to take the necessary safety precautions when they know the risks involved.