Manufacturer Joins Forces with National Safety Council on Tips for Staying Safer Around Windows

MARLBOROUGH, Mass (March 12, 2012) Window safety is a topic that relates to people of all ages. National Window Safety Week, the first full week in April, promotes smart use of windows and provides tips for parents and others to keep windows and surrounding areas safe. National Window Safety Week is proudly observed by Guardian Angel Window Guards and the National Safety Council’s (NSC) Window Safety Task Force.

As Spring arrives, adults are encouraged to recognize the importance of practicing window safety year-round. National Window Safety Week is observed April 1-7. However, open windows can be dangerous for young children who are not properly supervised any time of year.

“It’s important to keep children’s play away from open windows and doors for safety’s sake,” said Jane Robichaud of Guardian Angel Window Guards. “Avoid placing furniture, like beds, dressers or toy chests under windows in a child’s bedroom to help reduce the possibility of children climbing to an open window and falling.”

The National Safety Council offers these tips to help protect children from window falls:

• Avoid placing furniture near windows to prevent young children from climbing.
• Don’t allow children to jump on beds or other furniture, to help reduce potential falls.
• Do not lean on screens or rely on insect screens to prevent a window fall. Insect screens are simply designed to keep bugs out, not to keep children in the home.
• Supervise children to keep child’s play away from windows, balconies or patio doors.
• Install building code-compliant devices designed to limit how far a window will open or window guards with quick-release mechanisms to help prevent a fall.
• Teach your child how to safely use a window to escape during an emergency.

An integral part of the company’s ongoing window safety awareness campaign is its launch to the Spanish speaking market. 

“We recently launched redesign of our product packaging and brochures to include messaging and instructions in Spanish,” said Robichaud. “This is a critical safety issue of universal concern.”

In addition to the new packaging, the company introduced a transit campaign in and around Worcester, Massachusetts to build awareness for the child safety risk. Headlines on the transit ads read, “Proteje a tus hijos de caidas tragicas por la ventana!” which means “Protect your children from tragic window falls!”

Guardian Angel Window Guards meet the ASTM specification which establishes the installation, safety, performance, and labeling requirements for devices intended to address the risk of injury and death associated with accidental falls from windows by children five years old and younger.

ASTM is recognized globally as the premier developer and provider of voluntary consensus standards that promote public health, safety, and overall quality of life as well as contributing to the reliability of materials, products, systems and services. 

The ASTM certification applies to window fall prevention devices that are to be used on any window, including those that are designated for emergency escape (egress) and rescue (ingress).

About the Window Safety Task Force

The council’s Window Safety Task Force promotes window safety during National Window Safety Week and year-round. The Window Safety Task Force educates parents and caregivers on how to help prevent window falls. Window safety media and consumer information, safety tips, and more are located at nsc.org/windowsafetytaskforce.

The Window Safety Task Force, formed in 1997 to promote greater awareness of window safety, is composed of members representing the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) and the Screen Manufacturers Association (SMA), in cooperation with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and other organizations, as well as leading manufacturers of windows, doors and screens.

About the National Safety Council

The National Safety Council (www.nsc.org) saves lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the roads through leadership, research, education and advocacy.

About Guardian Angel Window Guards

Guardian Angel Window Guards are designed with less than 4 inches of space between bars to prevent small children from crawling through. End posts attach to window frames with screws so the guard is installed securely. Release buttons are secure from curious little fingers but allow for quick removal by adults in case of emergency. The patented design enables fire fighters to easily remove the guard from the outside in the event of fire. Featured on ABC’s Good Morning America, Guardian Angel Window Guards are ideal safety devices for homes, daycare centers, pediatricians’ offices, public buildings – any windowed areas where children could conceivably fall.

The Guardian Angel Window Guard is manufactured and assembled by Automatic Specialties Inc. in Marlborough, Massachusetts. For over forty years, the company has manufactured custom wire and metal products with a staunch dedication to quality and innovation to provide products like Guardian Angel Window Guards to ensure child safety.

For more information, visit www.angelguards.com, or visit us on Facebook and Twitter.

# # #