This year, April 2-8 is National Window Safety Week. We’ve covered a few aspects on window safety on the KID blog in the past, but this week serves as a yearly reminder to raise awareness about window safety and injury prevention. According to a Safe Kids Worldwide Report from 2015, about 8 children die every year in window falls, and another 3,300 visit hospital emergency rooms due to injuries from window falls. However, falls aren’t the only hazard posed by window areas. Cords from window blinds can also pose a strangulation hazard to infants and children. The good news is that these injuries and deaths are preventable, and progress has been made. This time last year, a few large retailers (Target, IKEA, and SelectBlinds.com) joined the #GoCordless movement and began to only sell cord-free window coverings. Here are a few quick tips for home window safety:
- When children are home, keep windows without guards closed and locked. Whenever possible, supervise children and keep their play areas away from windows.
- Don’t trust window screens to protect children from falls. Only window guards that have been properly installed can stop or prevent a fall.
- Only use cordless window coverings. If you’re in a space with window blind cords, make sure they are out of reach of children.
- If you have infants, position their crib, bassinet, or play yard away from windows. Any cords near a sleep space – window cords or cords from baby monitors – can pose a strangulation hazard.
For more information, visit the Window Safety Task Force from the National Safety Council, CPSC resources on window safety, or Parents for Window Blind Safety.
