Child Window Safety Guidelines

Knowing the required child window safety guidelines for your home can help protect your loved ones from serious injury.

Know the facts and the different options we as parents can choose from while child-proofing our homes.

One thing all homes have in common is windows. Too often they are overlooked when people baby proof, despite the fact that they are a leading cause of serious injury and accidents, especially for children under age five.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, falls from heights (including windows, roofs and balconies) are the second leading cause of death from unintentional injury and the leading cause of nonfatal injury. In addition to injuries caused by falls, windows can provide an unsafe escape route to swimming pools, streets or other outdoor dangers.

Small children should be supervised at all times near open windows. Window screens do not prevent falls - they are designed to keep insects and other pests out, not to keep children in and are easily displaced by the weight of a small child. If possible, open your windows from the top or install ones that do.

Older kids (brothers and sisters) should also know child window safety guidelines in the home. As parents we often leave toddlers in the care of big brothers or sisters. By teaching and showing older siblings the dangers and hazards in the home, parents can feel more comfortable leaving children in their care.

When your windows are closed, keep them locked and consider installing specially made Child Safety Window Locks. Do not place furniture, which children can climb on, under or near windows.

Install window stops or window guards. Window stops (sometimes also known as "wedges" or latches) prevent the window from being opened more than four inches. Child Safety Window Guards should have bars no wider than four inches apart and prevent children from falling through a window. If window guards are installed on windows on the sixth floor or below, they should be easy to un-install in the event of fire.

Apply Window Safety Film to oversized or single pane windows. The film won't prevent the window from breaking when it makes contact with a falling child or launched toy, but it will prevent it from shattering into razor-sharp shards that can severely injure your child.

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