Window Falls

Hannah's Hope: Our Window Safety Program

In March, 2011, four-year-old Hannah Geneser died when a screen gave way and she fell through an open third-story window. Hannah's family is dedicated to promoting the general cause of childhood safety - with a special focus on window safety - through public awareness and educational opportunities.

 Hannah's Hope for window safety is an outreach program sponsored by the Hannah Geneser Foundation, Blank Children's Hospital and Safe Kids Greater Des Moines. The goal of the program is to educate parents and other child caregivers on the dangers posed by windows and the actions that can be taken to prevent tragedies from happening.

Statistics:

• The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that falls from windows account for about 12 deaths and 5,000 injuries among children ages 10 and under each year.  
• Children under four are at greatest risk to sustain head injuries, which makes them almost 2 times more likely to die from a window fall than older children.
• A window screen was in place before the fall in 80% of cases.

What You Can Do:

• Always supervise children when they play.
• Teach your children to play a safe distance from windows - at least 2 big steps away.
• Keep beds, furniture and anything a child can climb on away from windows.
• Lock all unopened windows.
• Only open windows that children cannot reach or are secured with a compliant safety device.
• Do not depend of screen to prevent falls. Screens are designed to keep bugs out - not children in.
• Replace broken windows and non-working parts as soon as possible.
• Open your windows from the top not the bottom, if possible.
• Install window safety devices that comply with ASTM F2090-2008 and 2010 standards.
• NEVER leave young children unattended near open windows.