Summer Window Safety

Do you often worry about the safety of your children or your pets in your home? According to the Home Safety Council, tens of thousands of preventable injuries occur in the home each year. Champion Window, one of the nation's leading home improvement companies, provides five tips to help ensure the safety of children and pets this summer.

"Preventable injuries and even deaths occur far too often, bringing the issue of home safety to the forefront," said Donald Jones, president and COO of Champion Window. "As summer arrives, homeowners begin opening their windows for ventilation for the first time in many months, so now is an ideal time to remind homeowners of some simple window safety tips."

Easy home renovations and improvements can make a huge difference in enhancing the safety level in a home. Those with young children or pets should pay special attention to ensure their loved ones are safe around windows.

"What people need to keep in mind is that window screens are not safety belts,” Jones said. "They have one purpose - to keep insects out while providing ventilation. They won't prevent a toddler or pet from falling through an open window. As such, there are simple tips to increase window safety."

1. Install double-hung replacement windows, which allow for ventilation at the top, as opposed to single-hung bottom-only ventilated windows.
2. Arrange larger furniture away from windows. Children and pets could potentially fall out of a window by climbing on a couch or bed that is placed under a window.
3. Make sure your windows have ventilation latches, a safety feature that limits the initial opening of the window to less than four-inches. The latch can then be disengaged to allow the window to open further. This feature is becoming mandatory for code compliant windows with a sill height greater than six feet from the exterior grade.
4. Make sure that sash balance systems work properly. Windows with broken weight cords can cause a significant risk of crushing injuries if a heavy sash unexpectedly slams closed.
5. Ensure window blind cords are not left hanging, as they are a risk for strangulation and they should be tied up and out of the way of a child's or a pet’s reach.

Article provided by Champion Window and Supply Company

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