Window Safety

It's that time of year again...when kids start falling out of windows.  Amazingly, about 50 kids fall from windows every year in Oregon.  Some survive relatively unscathed, but others endure broken limbs, spinal cord injuries, internal injuries, or brain injuries.

It's important to realize that window screens provide no fall safety.  Experts recommend that window latches be configured so that the window can't be opened more than four inches.  Many vinyl windows have such latches built in, although many kids can defeat them easily.

From the "Stop at 4" Window falls prevention campaign:

Window Fall Safety Tips to Protect Your Child

• Only allow windows to open 4 inches. Install a window stop to keep children from opening them further. Be sure an adult can open the window in an emergency.
• If you open windows wider than 4 inches, install window guards with an emergency release device.
• Remember, windows also serve as a secondary means of escape during an emergency. Make sure windows are still accessible and can open fully without special knowledge or tools.
• Do not rely on insect screens to prevent a window fall. Screens are to keep bugs out, not kids in.
• Keep windows locked and closed when not in use.
• Keep furniture — or anything children can use to climb — away from windows.
• Teach children to play a safe distance from windows and enforce this rule in your home (i.e. “we play two big steps from windows”)
• When buying new windows, ask for ones with built-in-4-inch-limiters.

Even Ground Floor Windows can be hazardous. Consider where the child would land when deciding whether you need safety devices on first floor windows. Upper floor windows are especially dangerous, especially when located above concrete or a series of sharp upward pointing pikes.
There are lots of methods of securing windows, but finding an application that fits your situation can be a challenge. My favorite is below. It works great on vinyl windows, and can be installed (without tools) at the top of the window, out of reach of little hands. In our house, it is concealed behind the blinds. In an emergency, you can lift out the operable portion of the slider window.

Window Latch (Home Depot SKU 421937) Click on Image to see pricing

The best resource I know of for window safety is Randall Children's Hospital in Portland.  (That's where you'll end up if, God forbid, your child needs impatient rehab)

Randall Children's Hospital Safety StoreRandall Children's Hospital Window Safety (Videos and fact sheets)