Those responsible for the care for young children know about obvious safety issues such as the use of child restraints in cars, crossing roads carefully, or ensuring chemicals and medicines are stored out of reach.
But one danger many do not recognise is that posed by the very design of the homes and buildings in which they live. Windows and balconies may provide light and desirable living spaces but they can also pose a serious threat to the safety of young children.
Despite education campaigns such as NSW Health’s Kids Don’t Fly initiative, each year the media continues to report on a number of serious and sometimes fatal accidents involving falls from windows and balconies.
According to NSW Health more than 8000 children each year are admitted to hospital as the result of a fall. Of these, about 50 children suffer a serious injury resulting from a fall from a balcony or window, with some sadly being fatal.
The responsibility for the safety of children lies not only with parents, but with all sections of our community. Thankfully, preventing falls from windows and balconies is one area where all community stakeholders have been working together to reduce the number of accidents through a number of important initiatives combining education with regulation and innovative product design.
The big advantage of our fall prevention screens is that they comply with the National Construction Code for the Protection of Openable Windows.
This means that rather than having your windows open just 12cm to allow in a small amount of fresh air, while still keeping your children safe at home, you can use our stylish fall protection screens and open your windows fully.