The National Safety Council (NSC), and leading industry organizations have chosen the first full week of April every year as National Window Safety Week. This year's event runs from April 7-13, 2013 and coincides with that time of year when homeowners are beginning to open up their windows to let in the fresh spring air.

The NSC and their Window Safety Task Force work diligently throughout the year to promote greater awareness of window safety. Holding an event like this each spring is meant to serve as a reminder to parents and caretakers regarding the important safety tips individuals should adhere to in order to keep individuals, especially children, safe from accidental falls.

It is suggested that all household members should be taught to use windows and doors properly for escape and rescue purposes, and to identify all windows and doors that can be used for this purpose.

• Keep furniture - or anything a child can use to climb - away from windows. Children may use such object to climb to an open window and potentially fall.
• Remember that insect screens are intended to keep insects out. They are neither designed nor intended to keep children from falling out of windows and should not be expected to do so.
• When installing window guards or fall prevention devices, be aware that the window guards or window fall prevention devices must have a release mechanism so they can be opened for escape in an emergency.
• Select a device that complies with ASTM F2090, which provides minimum requirements for window fall prevention devices to ensure that they can be easily removed or opened when necessary.

Truth Hardware is very committed to this important cause and has engineered our SafeGard™ Window Opening Control Device (WOCD) for this very purpose. While there are numerous devices for sliding window systems, Truth's SafeGard is one of the first engineered and patented devices for a casement window system. This item has been tested and certified to ASTM F2090 the standard specification for window fall and prevention devices with emergency escape (egress) release mechanisms. View our product catalog to learn more about the SafeGard WOCD

Click here to learn more about Window Safety Week and the NSC. Additional resources include:

• Window Safety Checklist
• Safety Tips
• Information on the Window Safety Task Force

A sidebar article on page 80 of the March/April 2013 issue of Window & Door Magazine notes how WOCDs (window opening control devices) are gaining traction in the window hardware market. Aaron Mundt, Truth's Hinged Window Product Manager, agrees that the product line has gained popularity in the past year and mentions that Truth's SafeGard WOCD meets the ASTM F2090-10 specification. He anticipates the WOCD code requirements will become more widely enforced, resulting in the need to apply these devices at the factory, as well as retrofit in the field.

Designed to prevent children from falling out of windows, WOCDs limit how far the window can be opened during normal operation. They incorporate a release mechanism that allows the sash to be raised higher to meet emergency escape and rescue requirements. Safety features are becoming a greater concern for many homeowners and Mundt says that the awareness of, and desire for WOCDs is a good example of this increased interest.

In a recent story found in the June 2012 issue of Door & Window Manufacturer (DWM) Magazine, it was reported that the International Code Council (ICC) approved a change stating that window opening control devices complying with ASTM F2090 shall be installed where an existing window is replaced. This change, referenced as G 225-12 proposed that, "in all windows in group R-2 or R-3 buildings containing dwelling units, window opening control devices (WOCD) complying with ASTM F2090 shall be installed where an existing window is replaced, according to section 3048.1".

It should be noted that Truth Hardware's new SafeGard Window Opening Control Device has been tested and certified to ASTM F2090-10 which is the standard specification for Window Fall Prevention Devices with Emergency Escape (Egress) Release Mechanisms.

• June 2012 issue of Door & Window Manufacturer Magazine
• Read more about Truth's SafeGard WOCD
• View the SafeGard Operation and Installation video