According to PF&R's partner in healthcare, Randall Children's Hospital at Emanuel, 11 children have fallen out of windows this year in Oregon.  This is a 36 percent increase from this date in 2011, when only seven children had fallen out of windows by the Fourth of July. As we head into more hot weather this week, we urge community members to take a moment and think about window safety and kids.  A traditional screen is not a safe enough device and is only set to prevent insects from coming in, but not keeping kids from falling out.

"We want to decrease the number of children who are being disabled or killed by window safety," said Sandy Nipper, a registered nurse and child safety coordinator at Randall Children's Hospital. "Window falls are the most dangerous type of fall that children can have."

Window fall injuries are predictable and preventable. Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel and Portland Fire & Rescue encourage families to follow these safety tips and install window stops or window guards on windows that pose a fall risk.

-Keep windows locked and closed when not in use. Make sure the hardware on them is properly attached.

-Only allow windows to open 4 inches and install a window stop to keep children from opening them further.  (Check out Stopat4.com, a site dedicated to window safety awareness.)

-Never try to move a child who appears to be seriously injured after a fall. Call 911 and let trained medical personnel move the child with proper precautions.

Hands-on practice and one-on-one education are available at The Safety Store and Resource Center at Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel.

The Safety Store is located at:

Legacy Emanuel Medical Center atrium
501 North Graham Street
Portland, OR 97227 (Free curbside valet parking available)
Phone: 503-413-4600
Hours: M-Th 9 am - noon or by appointment. Closed Fridays through Sundays and holidays.