Window safety for kids

Did you know?

• Falls from windows are an important cause of injury in childhood.
  
• Every year almost 5,000 children are injured after window falls.
  
• Most children who fall are between 2 and 5 years old.
  
• Most falls happen in the spring and summer months, when windows are open.
  
• Most of these falls are preventable.

Small steps can save a child's life:

• Always supervise small children.
  
• Never open windows more than 4 inches.
  
• Open windows from the top down, if possible
  
• Move furniture away from windows.
• Install window stops or releasable child-safety window guards.
  
• Never rely on window screens to prevent children from falling out a window.
• Screens are designed to pop out for fire safety—the weight of a toddler can easily push through a screen.

Presentation slides (PDF) by Tony Gomez, Manager of Public Health's Violence and Injury Prevention Unit and Brian Johnston, MD, MPH, Prof. of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine at the April 2019 King County Board of Health meeting on Window Safety for Young Children. Video presentation below:

Photo by Mario Rassi

Download flyers in multiple languages:

• Window Safety for Kids
• በመስኮት አካባቢ በልጆች ላይ ለሚደርሰው አደጋ ጥንቃቄ (Amharic)
• 儿童窗户安全 (Chinese)
• Nageenya daa'immaniif foddaa eeggannoo qabu (Oromo)
• Дети и Безопасные Окна (Russian)
• Badbaadada Daaqada ee Caruurta (Somali)
• Seguridad de las Ventana para Niños (Spanish)
• ውሕሰት መስኮት ንቖልዑ (Tigrigna)
• An Toàn Về Cửa Sổ Cho Trẻ Em (Vietnamese)

Related resources:

• April 10, 2019: Police: Car breaks toddler’s 6-story fall from Redmond apartment complex, Q13 Fox
  
  
• Fall Prevention, Safe Kids Worldwide
  
  
• Window Fall Prevention video featuring Dr. Carlos Villavicencio of Seattle Children's Hospital, giving tips for preventing window falls available in English and Spanish.

Link/share our site at www.kingcounty.gov/window-safety