7 Tips to Keep Children Safe Around Windows

The first week in April is Window Safety Week - begging us to think about more than just how dirty our windows got over the winter. While a window can make an excellent life-saving exit strategy during an emergency, we wanted to take this time to remind you of the two main risks associated with your home's windows.

Most accidents with windows affect young children, and occur when parents thought that children were safe. The main causes are falls and strangulation from the looped cords on draperies, blinds and shades. While the number of falls from windows is fairly small, a fall from a window can result in serious injury or even death. Safekids.org reported that window falls account for approximately 8 deaths and 3,300 injuries annually among children ages 5.

You can use these tips to help prevent falls:

• Install window guards on upper floors in your home to prevent children from falling out.
• Move furniture away from windows in children’s rooms so they are not tempted to climb on it and open the windows.
• If you decide to keep windows open, do not leave young children unattended.

Remember - screens are for keeping bugs out, and not strong enough to keep children in. Keep an eye on young children and teach them good window safety from a young age.

Use these tips to eliminate strangulation hazards:

• Do not place your child’s bed or crib next to or near a window.
• If your child can crawl or walk, do not place chairs, couches or bookcases near windows.
• Remove the loops on cords by cutting the cord above the tassel, removing the equalizer buckle if there is one and then adding a new tassel to the cords that have been created.
• Childproof vertical blinds by installing a tie-down to the floor, wall or window jamb so the cord is pulled tight and cannot be removed.

The easiest way to prevent accidents around windows is to eliminate hazards before children get curious. Keep furniture away from windows and remove strangulation hazards immediately. Be aware of window hanging that may pose a danger to young children as they learn to crawl and walk.

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