Founded by the National Safety Council, America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate, National Window Safety Week promotes all aspects of window safety: from preventing window falls to using windows as escape routes. National Window Safety Week is always the first full week of April. This year, National Window Safety Week is April 4-10, 2021.
As spring weather returns, you’re probably itching to open your windows for some fresh air. Before you do that, let’s go over some window safety tips to make sure your home is as safe as possible.
Window Safety 101
When most people think of window safety, they think of preventing falls, especially when it comes to children. To keep your little ones safe around windows, keep these window child safety tips in mind:
- Always keep your windows locked when they’re not in use.
- Teach children about how to be safe around windows and encourage them not to play around open windows.
- Keep furniture and other items a child may climb on away from windows, especially on the second floor of your home.
- Window screens are meant to keep insects out of your home, not to keep children in. Window screens alone are not effective window fall protection.
- On windows that are over 6 feet from the ground, install window stops to control how far the window can open. These clip onto the window frame and ensure that even if a child does open the window, they can’t open it far enough for them to fall through.
- Window cords can present a choking hazard, so it’s a good idea to keep them tied up and out of reach for little ones. You can purchase hooks (sometimes called cleats) specifically for this purpose.
With these tips, you can prevent accidents and falls around windows. If you’d like to make your windows even safer, you can purchase a window safety kit to help you completely childproof your windows.
Using Windows as an Escape Route
Escaping your home during an emergency isn’t something anyone likes to think about, but it’s necessary. In the case of a fire, it might be necessary to escape your home through a window if you cannot get out via your primary exit. Because of this, it’s important to know which windows in your home are viable escape routes and establish an emergency plan with your family.
For new construction homes, most building regulations require basements, attics, and each habitable room (bedrooms, living rooms) to have a fire escape window. Even if your home isn’t new construction, you should have a window that can be used as an egress, or escape window, in each of these rooms.
Keep in mind that not all windows can or should be escape windows. Egress windows should be:
- Easy to open with no complicated locks or hardware
- Big enough for an adult to crawl through when fully open
More egress window safety tips:
- Never ever paint, nail, or screw windows shut. This makes them impossible to open in case of emergency.
- Do not place an air conditioning window unit in a window you plan to use as an escape window. This will slow your ability to escape during an emergency.
- Keep a stool or ladder near your basement window to make it easier to crawl out of.
- If your home has a second or third story, it is a good idea to keep a fire escape ladder near your egress window(s).
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