PRACTICE WINDOW SAFETY TO PREVENT FALLS

National Safety Council Recognizes National Window Safety Week, April 3-9
 
Itasca, IL - Each April, the National Safety Council takes a week to focus on the importance of practicing window safety in the home. National Window Safety Week is a chance to remind parents and caregivers how dangerous windows can be, during any time of the year, for unsupervised children.
 
"A fall from a window can happen quickly and result in serious injury," said Donna Stein-Harris, senior director of Safe Communities America for the Council. "Opening the top half of a double-hung window to let in a cool breeze and keeping the bottom closed can literally save a life."

The National Safety Council offers these tips to help protect children from window falls:

• Avoid placing furniture young children can climb on near windows.
• Do not lean on screens or rely on them to prevent a window fall. Insect screens are designed to keep bugs out, not to keep children in the home.
• Supervise children to prevent them from playing near windows, balconies or patio doors.
• Install building code-compliant devices such as window guards (with quick-release mechanisms in case of fire).
• Teach your children how to safely use a window to escape during an emergency.

Also see: Safety and first aid resources, articles, and advice for parents