Protect Children From Falls from Windows and Balconies

Oct 21, 2010
Toby Welch

Balconies are Dangerous for Children - Matej Bat'ha

A major source of concern for childhood falls, the very real risk of kids falling from windows and balconies.

Statistics from Toronto, Ontario, Canada illustrate the seriousness of this issue; between 1999 and 2006, 50 children fell from windows or balconies resulting in nine fatalities, 18 serious or critical injuries and 23 minor injuries. In Calgary, 12 to 14 window or balcony falls occur annually.

Awareness of Window and Balcony Falls

In the spring of 2002, Toronto EMS was one of many agencies that participated in a campaign to promote a newly unified Toronto municipal bylaw that governed the use of window safety devices. Despite the introduction of that bylaw, nine children ranging from 18 months to eight years of age fell from Toronto windows or balconies between February and October. The tragic results included three deaths, two critical or serious injuries and four minor injuries. That prompted Dean Shaddock, Coordinator of the Toronto EMS Community Medicine Program, to begin the development of a safety awareness program – Partners Promoting Window and Balcony Safety for Children.

Despite awareness campaigns and news stories, children are still falling out of windows and off balconies. In July 2007, a two-year-old Toronto boy died after falling eleven storeys from a high-rise balcony. Three days before, another Toronto boy fell from a second floor balcony. That same month, a four-year-old boy fell from a third-storey window in a Montreal apartment building. The tot had been jumping on the top bunk in his bedroom when he lost his balance and fell through the window screen. A month earlier, a three-year-old Ottawa boy fell to his death from a 15-storey apartment building. This is just a hint of what is going on around the country. I could go on but you get the picture.

But it’s not just skyscrapers that are the issue. As Shaddock stresses, “A significant number of falls in the Toronto area occur from second floor windows. People tend to think of low-rise or high-rise apartment buildings as the places to be wary of but fatalities have been documented in falls from the first or second floors.” Due to the dramatic media coverage that high-rise falls receive, falls from two-storey homes and similar short buildings seem to not get mentioned by the press and, as a result, are not as upfront in people’s minds. Looking at statistics from Toronto, more falls occurred from the second floor window or door than all other floors combined and some of those second floor falls are fatal. Even first floor falls from windows or decks can cause serious injury or death.

Window Screens Don't Prevent Falls

It cannot be stressed enough – window screens are designed to keep bugs out, not to keep children in. It takes a very small amount of pressure, usually less than the weight of the child who wants to explore, to bust out the screen. As for parents, is it realistic to expect them to watch their children 24 hours a day? Parents are humans, too, and can have attention lapses. Some experts feel it is unrealistic to think those in charge of children will be able to keep at least one eye on them every single moment. It is also unrealistic to expect hot, sweaty people not to want to open a window on a 35 degree scorching day. That is where preventative measures kick in.

Preventative Measures for Falls

Keep furniture away from windows so they aren’t more accessible by little ones. A crib beneath a window provides the perfect opportunity for a curious toddler to explore the world. A dresser near a window is easy for an unattended child to scale and topple out of. Window guards can be installed to ensure the window does not open more than ten centimetres. Window locks and stops or bars are other options. Patio doors need guards. All of these devices should be childproof yet be easily removed in the event of a fire. Even with preventive measures, proper supervision is critical.

Children who fall from buildings tend to land head first. Often the reason for this is the disproportional weight of their heads. A child’s head is larger and heavier than the rest of their body (can make-up up to 40% of a child’s weight) so the head is often what hits the ground first in a fall.

With some forethought and proactive action, preventing all childhood falls from balconies and windows can be a reality.

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