With the spread of COVID-19 leaving so many confined to their homes, window safety for families is even more important now as warmer weather approaches. Window Safety Week, recognized every year during the first full week in April, serves as a reminder of recognizing the importance of window safety and fall prevention year-round. This year, Window Safety Week is April 5-11. The event is designed to heighten the awareness of what parents and caregivers should do to help keep their homes and families safer from the risk of accidental falls or injuries through windows.

To this end, the Window Safety Task Force has compiled several resources for companies and individuals who wish to share window safety tips with their customers and their communities. Read more about the company and media kits on the Member Edge blog and be sure to download the activity book for children who need educational activities during this downtime. Check out the Socially Speaking blog to learn how you can share tips on social media with your respective networks online.

One tip that my family (which includes a five year old and a three year old) employs regularly at home is, when possible, opening windows from the top. Such a simple safeguard, but it never occurred to me prior to focusing on educational messages for Window Safety Week.

The Window Safety Task Force shares the following tips to protect children from window falls:

• Avoid the placement of furniture near windows to prevent children from climbing
• Do not rely on insect screens to prevent a window fall
• Keep children’s play away from open windows and doors
• Install building code-compliant devices designed to limit how far a window will open or window guards with release mechanisms to help prevent a fall
• Teach your child how to safely use a window to escape during an emergency

Windows also play a vital role in home fire safety, and the Window Safety Task Force promotes use of windows for emergency escape and rescue as well. Learn more and follow @WindowSafetyTF on Twitter and Facebook.