Hundreds of children, most of them under the age of 5, have been injured after falling from a window during the past decade in Ireland.
Although building regulations require protective guards to be placed on apartment windows, most owners of residential homes don’t take such precautions.
The risk of falling out of a window peaks between the ages between one and two. About two thirds of window falls involve children under 5.
Researchers have said that data should prompt parents to look at the windows of their homes, even those on the first floor, and take precautions to make sure that children cannot fall out of them. One of the biggest mistakes that parents make is to assume that a window with a screen is adequate to prevent a child from falling.
Homes with small children or those who have friends or family members with small children who might visit should equip each window with window guards. Parents should also move furniture away from window areas as many children climb onto furniture to gain access to a window.
Speaking today, Liam Moloney, personal injury Solicitor in Naas, said, “These are actually common injuries. Many parents fail to consider the dangers of unguarded windows. Not only are these injuries severe but many of them are preventable”.
