A two-year-old boy was sitting on his mother’s bed next to a window which was open due to the heat. His mum turned away to change her clothes and when she turned back he was gone. He fell from the third-storey window and died.
Parents often see falls from windows as ‘freak’ accidents but the statistics belie that view. In fact, nationally, one child under ten is admitted to hospital every day after falling from a building – often from open windows but also from balconies. In the last six years, 16 children under 11 have died.
How do window falls happen?
Falls from windows often happen very quickly and can take families by surprise. Common reasons include:
- Children develop new skills quickly. A child who couldn’t climb yesterday may suddenly be able to reach an open window today.
- The risk is underestimated. Many people don’t realise how quickly a child can climb or that they can open the window themselves.
- Furniture provides easy access. Beds, sofas, toy boxes and other furniture near windows make it easier for children to climb up.
- Windows are left open. During warm weather, open windows increase the risk if they are not fitted with a restrictor or guard.
- Accidents happen in seconds. Even with an adult nearby, children can climb and fall before anyone has time to react.
Why are pre-school children at particular risk?
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.
Practical safety advice
- Keep low furniture away from windows so that children can’t climb up and fall out – even on the ground floor
- If you can, install window restrictors (to limit how far they can open) or locks
- If you opt for a lock keep the keys somewhere you can find them in case there’s a fire and you need to get out
- If your window won’t lock or you need to open the window wider because of heat or cooking, please don’t leave young children alone in the room. If you have to leave the room, take them with you
- Keep young children away from balconies unless they are supervised and keep balcony doors locked when not in use.
Window locks and restrictors save lives
13 children under 11 died in the last 6 years after falling out of a window, according to new figures.
They weren’t protected by a window lock or restrictor because:
- One wasn’t fitted
- There was one, but it was broken
- There was one, but it had been disabled
If your window won’t lock or you need to open the window wider because of heat or cooking, please don’t leave young children alone in the room. If you have to leave the room take your child with you.
It happened to us…
A five-year-old boy died after falling from a 15th-floor kitchen window of his family’s flat. He had woken early, entered the kitchen, and opened the window. His mother had raised multiple concerns to the local council about the unsafe opening mechanism, but no action was taken.
An eight-year-old girl fell to her death from a sixth-floor balcony. She was playing on the balcony with a friend when she stood on something to make herself taller. Her waist was above the wall of the balcony and she toppled over.
A one-year-old boy fell from a seventh‑floor window in his family’s flat and died instantly. He climbed onto his older sister’s bed which was underneath the window. A window restrictor had been fitted but was not engaged at the time.
A two-year-old boy fell from a faulty window just seconds after his mum left him playing in an upstairs bedroom. He suffered a skull fracture and brain swelling. He died six days later. The window’s safety restrictor was broken and had been reported to the landlord two weeks before.
A six-year-old boy fell from his second-floor window during a heatwave and died. He was sitting on the windowsill in his bedroom, which had become “unbearably hot”, and was reading his book when he fell. The newly installed window didn’t have a safety catch so it opened fully.
A two-year-old boy fell from a third-storey window and died from traumatic brain and abdominal injuries. He was sitting on his mother’s bed next to a window which was open due to the heat. His mum turned away to change her clothes and when she turned back he was gone.
More info
More info
Falls: Tips to keep children safe
Discover the most common causes of serious falls and learn how you can protect children, while still giving them space to grow.
