Safer windows required at home
I recently read an article that talks about the alarming rate at which children fall each year from windows of multi-storey buildings. It begins with a chilling line “How many more children must plunge off second storey – or higher – buildings before action is taken?” The article certainly raises a valid point while blaming parents and building developers equally for such accidents. Home windows have weak flyscreens that fail to bear the weight of children. In addition, houses use faulty windows that are locked open beyond 12.5 centimetres.
New laws are soon going to be in place (or so we hear). From May, new homes will need mandatory safety fittings in form of window locks or reinforced meshes. Applause for the idea! However, what about the old buildings? The danger is much more imminent in their cases.
The article also puts the safety installation costs for each window at $130 (going by the proposed law). Such precautions would include 80% window locks and 20% reinforced meshes. As expected, the builders are resisting the idea. Builders claim that accidents largely take place in bedrooms and that they should be made accountable only for bedroom window safety installations. The article hits back saying that 20% accidents take place in other habitable rooms too. Are those 20% lives cheaper?
I agree with large patches of the article. I would go even further and suggest that retrofitting should be made mandatory for older buildings. Building contractors know the extent of wear and tear for old units and they should accordingly use new technology to safeguard such windows. It is up to them to go for reinforced meshes or steadier flyscreens or window locks, based on their survey of the danger involved.
The State government in Australia has to be a lot sterner in implementing these laws. It is one thing to propose a law and quite another to implement it.
Does your child move dangerously close to a window at times? Think hard! I invite your opinions.
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