VIDEOS: Window Safety, Window Guards & Fall Prevention

The right knowledge is key to preventing serious or fatal injury due to falls from windows.  View the sampling of videos below and take the time to learn more about fall prevention during this year's National Window Safety Week.

**Remember, standard cloth window screens keep bugs out, but won't keep kids in**

For both insect protection and fall protection, operable window security screens like the ones pictured here - with emergency egress - are always a smart, safe choice.

Having trouble viewing the videos?  CLICK HERE

Musician Eric Clapton speaks about window falls in this PSA.

Clapton's 4 1/2-year-old son was killed in a 49 story fall from a Manhattan, NY 

apartment building in 1991.

Window Security: 3 Benefits of Security Screens (vs. Burglar Bars)

Break-ins.  They can occur any time of day and can be executed swiftly and quietly by intruders using tools like crowbars, small hammers, pliers... even rocks and bricks.

Break-in statistics:

• The highest percentage of window break-ins/burglaries occur during the summer months.
• Over 95% of break-ins require some amount of force to break in. 
• An open window with only a locked, standard, cloth window screen (not security screen) is particularly inviting to thieves due to quick, easy and silent access.
• Two million burglaries are reported each year within the United States.

Protecting the openings around the perimeter of your facility is important.  So when it comes to glass protection, why choose security screens in lieu of burglar bars for windows and doors? Keep reading to find out.

Pediatric Injuries Due to Window Falls: Facts & Info

Each year in the United States, approximately 3,300 children under the age of 5 are injured due to window falls.  Eight (8) are fatally injured for the same reason.

Windows + Security Screens = Safety For College and University Students

Kane Security Window Screens on Jameson Hall, Rutgers University
(Douglass Campus) - New Brunswick, NJ

Accidental falls from window openings not only endanger the lives of children (see previous post Windows & Balconies: 4 Building Tips for Child Safety & Fall Protection), young adults are also at a high risk for severe injury or death.

The fear of every college or university official is experiencing a student tragedy that could have easily been prevented by utilizing the correct precautionary measures.  Unfortunately, many higher education facilities all over the country - and the world - have had this same fear realized, such as the institutions mentioned in the articles below:

University of Michigan:
Man Falls 43 Feet From University Of Michigan Dorm Window « CBS Detroit
  
Penn State University (Apartments):
State College Police Investigating Student Fall Through Window Screen

University of Central Missouri:
News:  Warrensburg, Mo.  Update: UCM Student Who Fell From 4th Floor Dorm Window Screen is Paralyzed

To learn more about falls and how to prevent them, read through the following lists.  This information could potentially save a life on your college campus.

Facts About Falls:

• Falls are the second leading cause of accidental or unintentional injury deaths wordwide.
• 37.3 million falls that are severe enough to require medical attention, occur each year.

To Prevent Falls From Windows:

• Move all furniture away from windows.
• Remember that typical cloth window security screens will not prevent an accidental fall. For more information on fall protection screens, CLICK HERE.
• Ladders to dormitory roofs and roofs themselves should be considered off limits for students.
• If windows are open, use window stops to prevent the window from opening more than 4".
• Install window security screens on all second story or higher windows.

To learn more about security window screens for your college or university housing facilities, CLICK HERE.

VIDEO: What Forcible Entry Looks Like (& How to Prevent It)

In the following YouTube clip, you'll see a real, forced-entry burglary at a residence in Raleigh, NC.  (Arrests were made in connection with the burglary in early January 2013.)

You'll notice that the burglars' point-of-entry was the back door.  A security screen door featuring 2, 18-gauge, sheet-steel, quarter kick panels with heavy duty locking hardware, likely would have prevented this burglary from occurring.  

For added glass protection around the home, security screens could have been installed over the existing windows to prevent further forced entry attempts with objects such as baseball bats, rocks or crowbars.

Kane's Narrowline Security Screen Door with Stainless Steel Wire Cloth Infill
and Sheet Steel Kick Panels are Strong Enough to Withstand Repeated Blows

Security screens and security doors deter break-ins and offer top-notch protection for both commercial and residential properties.   Learn more about them both HERE.

The 12 Days of Building Product Terms: DAY 7 - Sight Line

Click "Read More" to get started on day 7's term,

Sight Line.

The 12 Days of Building Product Terms: DAY 4 - Wire Cloth Infill

Click "Read More" to get started on day 4's term,
Wire Cloth Infill.

Public School Safety Series (PART 2: VANDALISM & FORCED ENTRY)

In this post, you'll learn more about how security screens can guard against specific types of public school window vandalism and forced entry attempts.


 To read this series from the beginning, please refer to Public School Safety Series (PART 1:  SECURITY LEVELS)

Jails vs. Prisons: (PART 1 of 2) Facility Differences & Suggested Detention Products

Kane Detention's Vantage Wall Woven Rod Barrier

When specifying detention products for a criminal justice application, it's important to understand where these products should be placed within each facility.

Below is a short list of prison and jail areas and their differences, along with suggested products that would be most appropriate for each.

Public Housing HUD Requirements for Window Screens

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with the Screen Manufacturers Association (SMA) has developed a testing and certification program to ensure security screens meet certain minimum performance standards.

The certification program defines three levels of screens.  Learn more about these levels after the jump.

Higher Ed Window Safety Series (PART 3): Benefits of Security Screens

Protector Security Screen
Schreyer Honors College 

In part 3 of this window safety series, you'll learn how...

• ...security screens can protect windows even when window air conditioner units are in use. 

• ...security screens on high rise residence halls can be be safer for students. 

• ...natural light filtrates through properly made security screens, with help from the right type of infill.

Higher Ed Window Safety Series (PART 2): Benefits of Security Screens

In part two of the Higher Ed Window Safety Series, we'll discuss security screens in relation to insect protection, fire codes and historic architecture.

Kane's Narrowline security screens on Denis Edward Hall
at the University of Scranton

Higher Ed Window Safety Series (PART 1): Benefits of Security Screens

Top-hinged protector security screens on McKee Hall
at Penn State Main Campus

For colleges and universities, campus security is a serious concern.  Over the years, most schools have evolved their security plan(s) to include perimeter fencing, guarded entrances, outdoor lighting, emergency call boxes magnetic card readers and expanded police patrols, in addition to the installation of security screens on residence hall windows.

In this three-part blog series, we'll discuss the nine ways security screens prevent criminal activity at higher education facilities, while saving the institution valuable time and money in replacement screens:

Windows & Balconies: 4 Building Tips for Child Safety & Fall Prevention

Keep kids safe by choosing railing that meets code

According to the American College of Surgeons, falls among children and adolescents account for more than three million emergency department visits each year with 40% of these falls occurring among infants, toddlers and preschoolers.  Nearly three quarters of child falls from elevated areas are unintentional and tend to originate from balconies, windows and trees. 

Whether you're renovating a public housing facility in an urban area, or designing a new high rise hotel near a popular vacation spot, consider making balconies and windows safer for each family and child by following these helpful tips:

Security Screens: Vandalism Protection for Windows

Storefront window with obvious signs of vandalism

Bare window panes alone are no match for heavy, thrown objects.

When faced with repeated blows from rocks, bricks and bottles, typical window glass doesn't stand a chance against this type of destructive vandalism.

If your storefront or home is located on the first story or street level of a building, consider the benefits of window security screens for the protection of your property - as well as the people inside.