WINDOW SAFETY
The Jones Family Learns About
"Window Safety" & "Window Guards and Devices"
Please review the information on this web site and share it with your family and friends.
Educating family members, applying common-sense safety measures, and using safety devices- such
as child-safety window guards and locks- will help to reduce the risk of children falling from
windows.
Click here for"The Jones Family Learns about Window Safety" Coloring Book To view, you'll need
to download and install
Adobe Acrobat Reader (if you don't have it already). Print out the book, make copies and share with
all the children you know!
DID YOU KNOW THAT...
- Accidents are the LEADING CAUSE of death in children between ages 1 and 15. FOUR PERCENT of these deaths are due to falls.
- ONE HALF of all injuries sustained by children are due to unintentional falls.
- In the United States 4,700 children are injured by falls from windows every year.
- In 2001, 25 Portland-area children were treated at OHSU after falling from windows.
- Nearly all falls from windows occur in the child's HOME.
- Most falls from windows happen during the SUMMER MONTHS.
- Most children fell from a window with SCREENS in place.
- About HALF of falls occur when chlidren are climbing on FURNITURE near windows.
- Falling from even the FIRST FLOOR can kill a child.
"Sally, it's not safe to sit on the window sill. Please get down."
Window Safety Tips
- Lock all unopened doors and windows.
- Keep beds, furniture and anything that a child can climb on away from windows.
- Remember that window screens will not save your child. Screens are designed to keep
bugs out- not children in.
- Install child-safety window guards, locks or screens.
- Teach your children window and home safety.
"Luke, no standing on chairs and please don't lean against
the screens. They are not strong enough to keep you from falling out."
Child Safety Window Guards
- Are aluminum or steel bars with maximum four-inch spacing that are installed in the bottom
half of a double-hung window.
- Are designed and tested to withstand 150 pounds of pressure.
- Are recommended for the second story and above, and for the first floor if the window is
more than 12 feet off the ground.
- Are releasable or removable from the inside and outside without the use of separate tools,
a key or excessive force.
- Cannot be substituted with window screens, which are designed to keep bugs out and
are NOT strong enough to keep children in.
- If fixed guards are used, at least one window in each room should have an operable
window guard to allow for emergency escape.
Child Safety Window Screens
- Are designed and tested to withstand 500 pounds of force from the inside of your home.
- Can install in existing screen track.
- Replace standard window screens, which are designed to keep bugs and are NOT strong enough
to keep a child from falling.
"Sally, it's not safe to climb on furniture near windows. Please get down."
"Moving furniture away from windows is easy to do!!!"
Where can you get window guards and safety devices?
- Ask your local hardware and home improvement stores to order and carry window guards.
- Window guards can be ordered on the internet. Check the links below.
www.auspin.com
www.cyberbabymall.com
www.windowguard.org
Related articles:
- Barlow B, Niemirska M, Gandhi RP, Leblanc W. Ten Years of Experience With Falls From a Height in Children. J Ped Surg 1983; 18(4): 509-11.
- Sieben RL, Leavitt JD, French JH. Falls as Childhood Accidents: An Increasing Urban Risk. Pediatrics 1971; 47(5): 886-92.
- Bergner L, Mayer S, Harris D. Falls From Heights: A Childhood Epidemic In An Urban Area. AJPH 1971; 61(1): 90-6.
- Spiegel CN, Lindaman FC. Children Can't Fly: A Program to Prevent Childhood Morbidity from Window Falls. Am J Ped H 1977; 67(12): 1143-7.
- Garrettson LK, Gallagher SS. Falls in Children and Youth. Ped Clinics of N Am 1985; 32(1): 153-62.
- Hall JR, Reyes HM, Horvat M, Meller JL, Stein R. The Mortality of Childhood Falls. J Trauma 1989; 29(9): 1273-5.
- Chadwick DL, Chin S, Salerno C, Landsverk J, Kitchen L. Deaths from Falls in Children: How Far is Fatal? J Trauma 1991; 31(10): 1353-5.
- Lehman D, Schonfeld N. Falls From Heights: A Problem Not Just in the NorthEast. Pediatrics 1993; 92(1): 121-4.
This information is brought to you by
Oregon Health & Sciences University
Trauma Service & Pediatric Surgery
Return to top
- Mail Code L604
- Oregon Health & Science University
- 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd
- Portland, Oregon 97239-3098
- Phone: (503) 494-8882
- Fax: (503) 494-4357
|