| New Standards for Window Guards To Help Protect Children From Falls
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today new safety standards for window guards that will help parents protect their children from window falls. The industry standards developed at the urging of CPSC ensure that guards are strong enough to prevent falls and that those for single family homes and the lower floors of apartment buildings can be opened easily for escape in the event of a fire.
CPSC estimates that about 12 children 10 years old and younger die each year, and more than 4,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for window fall-related injuries. CPSC knows of 120 window-fall related deaths to children since 1990. Most of the deaths and injuries are to children under the age of 5.
Window guards can be easily installed in windows to prevent a child from falling if the window is open.
"Whether you live in a high rise or a single family home, a window
guard can help prevent a tragedy," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "Don't
depend on a screen alone to keep children safe."
Window guards screw into the side of a window frame and have bars
no more than 4 inches apart. They are sold in different sizes for
various size windows and adjust for width. Guards must meet
requirements for spacing and strength and those that allow for escape in
case of emergencies must be difficult for very young children to open.
Consumers can also purchase window stops which can be added to the
window frame to prevent the window from opening more than 4 inches.
Some new windows come with window stops already installed.
CPSC guidelines for preventing window falls are:
- Install window guards to prevent children from falling
out of windows.
(For windows on the 6th floor and below, install window guards that
adults and older children can open easily in case of fire. For windows
on the 7th floor and above, permanent window guards can be installed)
- Guards should be installed in children's bedrooms, parents' bedroom,
and other rooms where young children spend time.
- Or, install window stops that permit windows to open no
more than 4 inches.
- Never depend on screens to keep children from falling out of windows.
- Whenever possible, open windows from the top - not the bottom.
- Keep furniture away from windows, to discourage children from climbing
near windows.
Consumers should look for guards that have bars no more than 4
inches apart.
They can call the following companies for more information about
purchasing window guards:
John Sterling Corporation
(800) 367-5726
LL Building Products
(800) 755-9392
Automatic Specialties
(800) 445-2370
Window guards are priced between $10 and $30 and have different
configurations. Consumers should compare features to determine which
guards best suit their needs. Window stops available at hardware stores
cost about $2.
Consumers can also view a video clip about window guards on the CPSC website. This is in "streaming video" format.
CPSC Release # 00-126
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