Keeping Your Kids Safe by the Balcony and Window

Make sure your home is safe and secure at all times

Posted on

31 July 2013

Posted by

Editor

Did you know? Children can fall out of a window which is open more than 10cm, even if a fly screen is present.

Here we take a look at easy actions you can take to prevent any mishaps in your home.

Actions To Take In The Home

Keep your young child away from open windows and balcony railings.

Don’t let the children see you opening windows on high floors, this way they won’t try to open them.

Check that any railing uprights are close enough together so that a crawling infant cannot get through.

Children are always supervised.

Please make sure that none of your family, friends or guests is allowed to sit on the balcony wall or railings under any circumstances.

If you have home help/nanny spend time educating her on safety precautions in and around the home.

Never leave your children unattended in a room, especially if the room has a balcony or open window.

Don't hold your baby and toddler in your arms anywhere near the edge of your balcony- they can wriggle out of your grip in an instant.

Always place cribs, beds and other furniture away from windows.

Ensure that the access door is securely locked at all times and put the key where your child cannot possibility reach it.

Make it a rule that older children may not entertain their visitors on the balcony if you are not at home.

Make sure that there is nothing available to enable any child to climb up and hang over the wall or railings. Your balustrade should have no horizontal or near horizontal parts that would allow children to climb.

Parents should be aware of furniture that is light enough for children to drag to the balcony edge and remove it.

Make a point of educating everybody you know about balcony safety.

Window & Balcony Safety Treatments

Balcony balustrades or railings should be at least 1metre high.

Make sure that doors to balconies are kept locked.

Get a child lock fitted on your window and remove the key.

Have a clear guard secured to your balcony which is higher than the wall itself.

Secure a safety “fence”, or even a sheet of perspex, firmly along open railings. Babies and small children can get through surprisingly small spaces.

Place a row of pot plants in window boxes on the inside of the wall or railing to prevent children from hanging over and adults from sitting on the wall.

Furniture or other objects on balconies should be arranged away from railings.

Use window guards and stops on windows above the first floor. Window stops prevent the window from opening more than 10 cm. Window guards are a barrier in front of the window. They are available at local hardware stores. They are available with both horizontal and vertical bars. Make sure to purchase window guards that have a release mechanism so that they can be fully opened in case of an emergency.

Window stops are small devices that prevent a window from opening more than 10 cm (four in), so that a child cannot fall out. Wide varieties of window stops are available and can be found at hardware stores.