Archicentre Calls For Window Modifications On Multi Storey Flats And Houses

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19th October 2009, 04:36pm - Views: 1077






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Media Enquiries:

Robert Caulfield Managing Director Archicentre (03) 9819 4577 Mobile: 0412 381 306 

Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications Archicentre Mobile: 0417 329 201 


Media Release









  

19 October 2009

Archicentre calls for window modifications on multi storey flats and houses

Archicentre has called upon parents with young children living in multi storey flats and houses to

modify windows to prevent children falling out of them.

The call follows the death of a three year old toddler in Sydney yesterday who fell from the window of a third

floor flat.

Robert Caulfield from Archicentre who is also vice president of Kidsafe Victoria said that there had been a

number of child deaths and injuries in the last few years throughout Australia from window falls and the main

problem was children jumping or playing on beds near windows.

“The most dangerous situation involves aluminium sliding windows which provide a large unobstructed

opening when fully open. Some parents think that flyscreens provide a barrier, but a small child jumping on

a bed will go right through a flyscreen if they hit it hard.”

Mr. Caulfield said that The Building Code of Australia limits the width of openings in stair balustrades to

125mm to prevent children falling through and similar precautions should be taken with upper floor windows. 

“Parents can easily modify sliding aluminium windows themselves by drilling a hole in the bottom track and

screwing in a self tapping screw at the back of the opening part of the window to prevent the window from

opening to its full width. Similar modifications can be made to wind out windows.”

Mr. Caulfield said that Archicentre’s pre-purchase home inspections and inspections for Owners

Corporations show that sliding aluminium windows were the most common type in multi storey flats and

wind out windows in multi storey houses. He also recommended that Owners Corporations should

encourage the modification of windows in flats to minimize the chances of expensive insurance claims which

could have an effect on all of the owners in a block of flats where an incident occurred.  








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