DOORS, WINDOWS & BALUSTRADES
the vaccine roll W hile out and lower infection rates are helping life to return to something resembling pre-pandemic normal, public health experts are clear that we are a long way from out of the woods yet. The return to the classroom for students in March came with guidance for schools to keep windows open for ventilation and, as other public sector buildings – such as libraries, and local authority offices – have reopened to personnel and service users, the advice to allow fresh air in to disperse potential virus particles applies here too. In many environments, where accommodation is limited to the ground floor, aside from an unseasonably chilly spring, keeping windows open is not an especially onerous requirement. For taller buildings, however, where there is a potential risk of falling – or climbing – through a window, the health risks of an unventilated space need to be balanced against the safety risks of open windows, unless the window opening is restricted: which is exactly what window restrictors are designed to do.
Why is a window restrictor the right solution?
OPENING WINDOWS FOR VENTILATION WHILE CLOSING THE LOOP ON SAFETY Danny Openshaw from UAP, the specialist in safety and security hardware for windows and doors, discusses the importance of enabling windows to open safely as we continue to address the challenges of COVID-19.
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Suitable for both retrofitting to existing windows or for installation as part of a newbuild project, window restrictors are a small and inexpensive device designed to allow windows to open far enough to provide ventilation, but not enough for a person to pass through the aperture. Widely used in settings designed to accommodate vulnerable groups, such as nurseries, hospitals and care homes, they provide the ideal safety measure when windows need to be opened to a safe, controlled degree for ventilation, which makes them more useful than ever as part of pandemic safety practice. Window restrictors are also an ideal safety solution for social housing developments, enabling ventilation for any accommodation at first floor or above. Despite the fact that RoSPA figures indicate around 4000 children under the age of 15 fall from windows every year in the UK, there is no
