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.
NEWS 
