Mounties are urging parents to toddler-proof their windows during this heatwave after a 14-month-old boy fell from the second storey on Sunday (June 20).
Burnaby RCMP said they were called to Arcola Street near Sperling Avenue around 9:30 p.m. after witnesses saw a child fall from a window on the second floor.
Police believe the boy climbed onto furniture before getting to the window, which did not have a screen and was open due to the hot weather, and falling out.
The toddler was taken to hospital for treatment but was not seriously injured in the fall.
“In this case it just took a moment for the child to fall, while a parent had briefly stepped out of the room. As the weather heats up, we are urging all parents and families to do a safety assessment in their own home,” said Cpl. Mike Kalanj.
“We want to prevent this from happening to another family this summer. The hot weather we are experiencing right now provides a perfect opportunity to evaluate window safety.”
According to Fraser Health, there are a few ways to make homes and windows more secure with young kids around:
- Move household items away from windows to discourage children from climbing to peer out.
- Don’t underestimate a child’s mobility; children begin climbing before they can walk.
- Toddlers may use anything as a step stool to get higher.
- Be aware that window screens will not prevent children from falling through – they keep bugs out, not children in.
- Install window guards on windows above the ground level. These act as a gate in front of the window.
- Install window and door safety locks so that they cannot open more than 10 centimetres (four inches).
- Talk to your children about the dangers of opening and playing near windows, particularly on upper floors of the home.
