Be proactive and aware to prevent children falling from open windows, balconies

Warmer weather leads to more open windows but it also increases the risk of young children falling from windows and balconies.

Every year emergency workers respond to desperate situations where a child has been injured in situations like this. In 2016, there were 175 children taken to emergency departments at hospitals across the province due to such circumstances, with 20 having to be admitted.

There are some simple precautions Alberta Health Services is reminding you to take at home and when you are on vacation.

Move any furniture such as beds, cribs, chairs and change tables away from windows to reduce a baby/child’s access to those windows.

Even on your balcony and/or raised deck, bear in mind outdoor furniture provides a prop on which to climb and can result in the child falling over the railing. AHS says it is best to remove these items if you have children at home.

Do not think an insect screen at an open window will protect a child from falling. They are designed to keep insects out and can give way with a little pressure from a child.

AHS suggests installing window guards on all windows on the second floor and above. These act like gates in front of windows.

It may also be a good idea to install safety devices that limit how much a window can open to a maximum of four inches, says AHS.

If you live in a high-rise building, are visiting one with your children, or are on vacation in one, inspect the balcony railing. The vertical railings need to be no more than four inches apart to reduce access between the vertical railing bars.

If your window coverings, drapes, curtains, blinds, include draw cords they need to be wrapped around cord cleats when not in use. Alternatively they need to be tied down high up on the wall so that children to not have access. They can be a choking and strangling hazard.

Direct supervision of children is the most effective way to prevent falls and other childhood injuries, says AHS. For more information on household safety for children and other important injury prevention topics, visit http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/injprev/page11930.as px