Window Safety Tips
Safeguard
your family from preventable window injuries
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 The
State of Home Safety in America (2002) revealed that injuries
associated with windows caused more than 110,000 emergency room
visits in a single year. Follow these tips provided by the
Home Safety Council to safeguard your family from preventable
window injuries:
Protect Children from Window Falls
According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety
Commission (CPSC), children are more likely to die or be
severely injured from window related falls than falls associated
with any other product. Additionally, most of these
injuries occur during the spring and summer months. To
help prevent window falls in your home, the Home Safety Council
suggests the following precautions:
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Be aware that
conventional window screens are not designed to
prevent a child's fall from a window.
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Install specially
designed window guards on upper windows to prevent
children from falling out of windows.
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Purchase window guards
that have a quick-release mechanism inside so that
they can be easily opened by an adult in a fire
emergency.
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Move furniture away from windows in children's rooms
to prevent them from reaching windows.
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Never leave young children unattended near open
windows.
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Window Cords
CPSC reports that more than 169 strangulation deaths
caused by window coverings have been tracked since 1991.
Most were children three and younger, though children up to age
six are considered to be at risk.
While many new window treatments eliminate these hazards, older
homes may still have window cord dangers that can present a risk
to young children. To make sure your window cords do not
present a strangulation danger, the Home Safety Council
recommends following these tips:
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Inspect your window
coverings for inner and outer cord loops in blinds
that could pose a danger to children.
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If your window blinds
have loops, they can easily be made safer by
requesting a free repair kit from the Home Safety
Council and Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. Call
1-800-559-2555 to request your free kits.
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Position cribs,
playpens, beds and other furniture away from windows
and out of the reach of all window covering cords,
including drapery pull cords.
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Tie window cords up and
out of a child's reach.
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