What a strange world we are living in right now as literally everyone adjusts to the new “normal.” For me, that means a re-balancing of professional and family time – bouncing between blog writing and social studies with my two elementary school age children. With COVID-19 forcing school closures and social distancing, more and more children will be at home with their parents and caregivers this spring. As warmer weather begs us to open our windows and let in fresh air, we urge members and the fenestration industry at large to help in spreading the message of window safety.

Window Safety Week is an annual event, held the first full week of April. This year, Window Safety Week will be recognized as April 5-11 to serve as a reminder of the importance of window safety and fall prevention year-round.

To aid in spreading the message of window safety, two tool kits have been created by the Window Safety Task Force, which was formed in 1997 to promote greater awareness of window safety. The first is intended for company use and includes window safety tips, newsletter and email templates and sample social media posts. These tools are meant to aid companies in getting the message out to employees, customers and community members.

In this time of children being self-quarantined with their families, the most important piece of information from the task force (besides these kits) could quite possibly be the window safety activity book created by Andersen Corporation. This fun coloring book with mazes, word searches, bookmarks and other interactive elements presents the vital tips for window safety in an engaging way for kids to learn.

Window Safety and Fall Prevention Tips

• 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

Teaching kids to properly wash their hands during the corona virus outbreak is not the only important safety tip children need to learn. Please share the elements within the tool kit, the activity book and safety tips with everyone you know, especially with those who will be taking care of little ones over the next few months in self-quarantine. I’ve printed two copies for my kids, and I hope you will, too.