WINDOW COVERING/CORD SAFETY

WINDOW SAFETY

Windows rank as one of the top five hidden hazards in the home. In support of #windowsafetyweek in the month of April and to support #childsafety during the #stayathomeorder, Arizona Childproofers has compiled some valuable information regarding window and blind cord safety to keep your family safe!

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*** some of the content in this video may be hard to watch but it is needed to emphasize the importance of safety for children. 

BLIND CORD ENTRAPMENT AND STRANGULATION PREVENTION

"One child dies every month by strangling in a window covering cord. From 2012 to 2017, there have been 50 fatalities reported to CPSC that were related to window cord strangulation among infants and young children." 

CPSC recommends that you replace corded window coverings with cordless ones to prevent this deadly hazard.

All shades and blinds in homes should be examined for accessible cords on the front, side and back and replaced with cordless window products. GO CORDLESS! If you cannot replace window coverings, make sure window cords are secured out of the reach of children and eliminate dangling cords.

-more information and visuals on these hazards at https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Window-Covering.

"What to look for" resource: https://windowcoverings.org/window-cord-safety/

Blind Cord Solutions:

• Temporary - tuck cords up high
• Cut looped cords
• Install cordless blinds
• Install or use safety devices- A cord cleat is a plastic or metal safety device that allows you to wrap dangling cords so they're out of the reach of children.
• Remove temptation

https://wehavekids.com/parenting/How-To-Make-Your-Window-Blind-Cords-Safe-For-Toddlers

WINDOW FALL PREVENTION

The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that falls from windows account for about 12 deaths and 5,000 injuries among children ages 10 and under each year. Children under four are at greatest risk to sustain head injuries, which makes them almost 2 times more likely to die from a window fall than older children.

Falls Prevention Tips from Safe Kids Worldwide:

• Install Window Guards and Stops
• Screens are meant to keep bugs out, not children in. Properly install window guards to prevent unintentional window falls. For windows above the first floor, include an emergency release device in case of fire.
• Install window guards that adults and older children can easily open in case of emergency.
• Include this in your family’s fire escape plan and practice it regularly.
• Install window stops so that windows open no more than four inches.
• Open Windows From the Top and Close After Use
• If you have windows that can open from both top and bottom, make a habit of opening just the top to prevent accidental falls. Keep in mind that as kids grow, they may have enough strength, dexterity and curiosity to open the bottom.
• Keep windows locked and closed when they are not being used.
• Keep Kids From Climbing Near Windows
• For your crawlers and climbers, move chairs, cribs and other furniture away from windows to help prevent window falls.
• Never move a child who appears to be seriously injured after a fall — call 911 and let trained medical personnel move the child with proper precautions.

The Window Safety Task Force offers these suggestions to help protect children:

• Teach children to play area away from windows
• Teach caregivers and children that screens keep bugs out, but they do not keep children in
• For any windows that are 6 feet or higher from the ground, install window stops or guards that meet ASTM standards – limiting windows to opening less than 4 inches
• Always supervise children and ask about window safety when your child visits other homes
• For a double-hung window on an upper floor, install a window guard or stop that keeps children from pushing the bottom window open
• Lessen the potential impact of injury from a fall through strategic landscaping – use of wood chips, grass or shrubs beneath windows

https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/safety-topics/child-safety/window-safety

ACTIVITY BOOK FOR KIDS (Click Link for PDF)

• This resource goes through what safety measures to practice with your children as well as other fun coloring sheets and games to help your child remember how to stay safe around windows!

https://www.stopat4.com/information-for-families for more resources and information

Window Guard/Lock Solutions:

• Fall prevention window guard — Device designed to fit into or onto a window to prevent a child from passing or falling through an open window. Typically mounted on the interior frame of the window and includes side frames fastened to the sides of a window frame and a plurality of spaced-apart, transverse, tubular, width-adjustable crosspiece elements to form a grid pattern between the side supports to prevent passage of a child.
• Window fall prevention screen — Screen device designed to fit into or onto a window to prevent a child from passing or falling through an open window. Typically mounted on the exterior surface/frame of a sliding style window and on the interior of a cranking style window and includes screening mesh or material and attachment mechanism(s) of sufficient strength to meet the performance requirements of this standard while preventing passage of a child.
• Window opening control device — Device that limits a window sash to be opened with normal operation of the sash such as to prohibit the free passage of a 4-in. (102-mm) diameter rigid sphere at the lowest opening portion of the window opening, with a release mechanism that shall allow the sash to be opened to a large opening area such as that required for emergency escape and rescue, and that automatically resets when a window is fully closed.

https://www.astm.org/SNEWS/ND_2009/wilhelm_nd09.html

For any questions or support with installing window devices, please contact Arizona Childproofers.

480-634-7366   www.azchildproofers.com