Doors, Windows & Balustrades

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.

While the vaccine rollout 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?

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

legal requirement to fit window restrictors. Building Regulations Approved Document B1 refers to the fitting of window locks for safety reasons, but even this guidance only applies to new buildings or those undergoing building work and material changes of use.

The HSE, however, does provide some useful guidance, stating that window openings should be restricted to 100mm or less. This guidance also advises that window restrictors that can only be removed with the aid of a special tool or key should be selected.

RoSPA also advises that window restrictors should be fitted to all windows at, or above, first-floor level, factoring means of escape into their advice, along with risk of falling. This is particularly important in education settings, where window restrictors should be tamperproof while enabling an authorised adult to remove them quickly and easily if required.

How to choose the right window restrictor

The right choice of window restrictor depends on the building use and the type of occupier and it is advisable to select the most flexible solution to meet the property’s needs.

For schools and nurseries, a lockable window restrictor is the most appropriate choice because this provides a robust defence against children falling from windows while allowing ventilation and enabling adults to open the window fully if escape is required. It is important to select a window restrictor that is EN 13126-5:2011 + A1:2014 compliant, which means that the total opening of the whole length of the window opening must be less than 89mm when in use for child safety, and 100mm for other environments. To meet this standard, multiple restrictors may need to be fitted, depending on the size of the window.

The window restrictor should be very strong – UAP’s lockable window restrictors have been machine tested to withstand pressures of 250kg, for example – but authorised opening should be as simple as possible with a universal key for all windows. In this way, any window restrictor in the building can be released quickly in an emergency and lost keys can be replaced.

An alternative to lockable window restrictors are push-tolock models, which lock securely but can be opened without a key. These work in the same way as child-safe medicine bottles to enable convenience for adults while keeping children safe. The advantage is that no key needs to be found to fully open the window in the event of an emergency.

Finally, a fixed window restrictor can be an ideal choice for environments where there will never be a need to use windows as a means of escape. Often specified for hotels, these are a completely tamperproof option which cannot be opened once fitted and can be used in offices and other tall buildings.

Life savers

Window restrictors are already common in many public sector buildings but the need to ventilate shared spaces has reiterated what a useful addition they can be for both new and existing buildings. Easy to retrofit and cost-effective, they are a simple addition to windows that could save lives.  www.uapcorporate.com