Statistics have shown that hundreds of children’s lives have been put in danger due to window falls which could have been prevented by a window security guard. Many have suffered serious injuries, while some have actually fallen to their death at a very young age. Falls have become the leading cause of injury and death among children aged 5yrs and younger. As parents it is our responsibility to protect children from possible harm and any threats to their well-being. Prevention is the primary way of protecting our children from serious injuries and death. To promote the safety of our children, the best way to protect them from falling out of windows is by installing a window guard.
A window security guard must be installed on any vulnerable windows. When we say vulnerable windows, these are windows where children are most likely to climb up and play. If you’re not sure where your little tyke is going to climb, it is best if you install them on all your windows as it is better to be safe than sorry.
There are different window guards on the market that you can choose from. You can either utilize aluminum or steels bars. The space between the bars should only be a maximum of four (4) inches, so that children can’t squeeze through. These window bars are usually used when you live on the second storey of your building or if your window is twelve (12) feet high above the ground. They are also recommended if you have children under the age of 5 years old.
You may also use a temporary or operable window security guard. From the word temporary, these window guards are removable from the inside. You don’t need any tool, key or excessive force in order for you to remove them from your window. Operable window guards can be used on all of the windows in your house. The best feature of this type of window guard is that it can easily be removed or released, which allows an easier and safer escape in times of emergency, such as fire. Permanent or fixed window guards are also available on the market.
Keep in mind that child window guards are not the same as your burglar or security bars. The gaps between the bars of the burglar grills are wider, thus a child can squeeze through them. It does not offer the same protection to your child as your safety window guard can.
Here are other tips that you can make use of to protect your children from falls:
- Never leave your children unsupervised
- Keep your doors and windows locked
- Keep all things that a child can climb on away from your windows (i.e. chairs, tables etc)
- Keep the screens in your windows
By installing a window security guard you can keep your family safe from harm however you do want to make sure that if you have little children that you get child window guards manufactured specifically to keep them from squeezing through the gaps and falling out the window.