Warning on balcony safety, avoid accidents for children

According to the Westmead Children’s Hospital (CHW) in Australia, an average of 10 children are brought to CHW every year after falling from a balcony. Most of these children fall from their balconies, of which approximately 75% are under the age of five.

Families should take the necessary safety measures to avoid unfortunate accidents to their children. According to the Westmead Children’s Hospital (CHW) in Australia, an average of 10 children are brought to CHW every year after falling from a balcony. Most of these children fall from their balconies, of which approximately 75% are under the age of five. Westmead Children’s Hospital provides care and treatment for 80,000 sick and injured children each year. This is the largest pediatric center in the state of New South Wales, Australia, with the capital city of Sydney; Child treatment in New South Wales, Australia and Pacific Rim countries. To protect children from unfortunate accidents from balconies, CHW has introduced balcony and railing safety recommendations. As defined by the CHW, a balcony is an area of ​​a building that is positioned higher than the ground. If the balcony is at a height of 1m above the ground, it must be surrounded (barrier) by a railing. A balcony railing as a guard or barrier is usually made of iron or wooden slats. Glass panels are also commonly used. How can children be injured at the balcony? Young children may get their heads, arms or legs stuck in between the gaps in the railing. Young children may fall over the gap between the railing if the distance between them is too large. The slightly older kids may slip or stumble over the balcony doorway and fall to the balcony floor. Children can also fall off the balcony if they can climb over the balcony railing. For example, horizontal bars on a railing can allow a child to climb over the railing. Items such as potted plants or outdoor furniture placed next to the railing can also be used as ladders for children to climb. According to CHW statistics, an average of 10 children are brought to this hospital every year after falling from a balcony. Most of these children fall from their balconies. Of the children brought to the CHW, approximately 75% are under the age of five, 40% occur in the summer, and three out of every five cases that are taken to the hospital are boys. During the period 2008-2018, 88 children were taken to CHW for treatment due to a fall from the balcony. A large number of those injuries are rated serious. Fall injuries, even from low heights, can be serious; “40% of fatal falls, among children under 15 years old in Australia, are from a height of less than 3 feet (91.44cm). Corridor windows on each floor are also potentially unsafe if precautions are not taken. How to prevent accidents from the balcony? Australia’s National Building Act requires balcony balustrades to be at least 1m high if the balcony is more than 1m above the surface below. Any space in the handrail should not allow a circular object 12.5cm in diameter to pass through. Where balconies are located more than 4 meters above the lower surface, the barriers must not have horizontal sections or resemble horizontal (climbable) sections between 15cm and 76cm above floor. According to CHW, to ensure the safety of children, families need to ensure that their family’s balcony or railing is at least 1m high and the distance between vertical bars is not wider than 12.5cm. Balcony balustrades should not have cross bars or the like that can allow young children to climb. All furniture, potted plants and other climbable objects should be kept away from the edge of the balcony. Adults should also beware of furniture that is light enough that children can pull to the edge of the balcony; Check the balustrades regularly to make sure they are in good condition; Supervise children while they are on the balcony and can lock the balcony doors to keep them out. In Vietnam, nowadays, one of the most popular ways to keep children safe from unfortunate balconies is to install safety nets. Especially in high-rise apartments, areas such as corridors of each floor, balconies, windows are places with potential risks of unsafety. The balcony safety net is made up of three main parts: the cable, two aluminum bars and the screws. The stainless steel core cables and plastic shells will be woven into a specialized aluminum bar system that is tightly mounted on the ceiling and railing. The usual distance between two cables is 5cm. This distance is enough to prevent children and many objects from getting through. The cost of installing safety net ranges from 150,000 VND to 180,000 VND / 1m2, depending on the installation area and materials. Answering questions of people related to the installation of safety cable nets in apartments, the Ho Chi Minh City Fire Department said: “The installation and supplementation of protective cable nets at the department The building does not affect the fire safety conditions of the building, however, these protective cable nets must be easily dismantled in case the fire department is approached. to serve the rescue and rescue work in case of fire and explosion incidents “. The safety net has a fairly simple structure, the installation cost is not too high and provides great support in ensuring safety for families in apartments or high-rise buildings, especially families with young children. Families should take the necessary safety measures to avoid unfortunate accidents to their children.