Falls from open windows

With the arrival of better weather, windows are likely to be left open in the hope of catching a breeze – and reports are reaching CAPT of small children falling from upstairs windows, frequently needing specialist hospital care for significant head injuries.

Parents often see falls from windows as ‘freak’ accidents but the statistics belie that view. In fact, nationally, one child under five is admitted to hospital every day after falling from a building – often from open windows but also from balconies.

Pre-school children are particularly susceptible to falls from a height:

• They are curious and want to see what’s happening outside but have no real understanding of danger.
• They can take parents by surprise by a sudden breakthrough in their development. You think they don’t climb but, before you know it, they can clamber up on furniture or haul their toy box across the floor and open a window. And accidents can happen very quickly, when your back is turned or you’re distracted for a minute.
• Small children are built differently to adults – their heads are proportionally much bigger than ours, so they have a different centre of gravity. This means that, if they lean out of a window, they may topple out. And when they land, their head takes much of the impact.

We recommend that you fit window catches, locks or restrictors to stop your windows opening too wide. Katrina Phillips, CAPT’s Chief Executive, says:

“Safety equipment like this takes the pressure off you. It’s often easy to fit. And you can find safety catches for all types of windows, including metal window frames and double glazing.

“But remember, if you opt for window catches with a lock, keep the keys somewhere an adult can easily find them, in case there’s a fire and you need to get out.”

If you can, move furniture away from windows to make it harder for small children to climb up. You can also start teaching them where not to climb – though they may forget if there’s something interesting outside they really want to see.

• Download our free fact sheet to learn more about preventing serious falls
• Read more about falls in our safety advice section of this website. Falls are the most common cause of accidental injury to children. While most falls aren’t serious – active children often fall over – some falls can lead to death or long-term disability.

We offer free resources to help you run an engaging workshop or provide essential advice to the families you work with.

• Run a group session with our falls from windows session plan. Download yours here 
• Share our fact sheet on preventing serious falls
• Our fact sheet is also translated into Arabic, Bengali, Panjabi, Polish and Urdu for speakers of English as an additional language

Order falls educational resources from our shop.