New Child Safety Nets

Having been involved in the tragic outcomes of many falls from balconies and windows we are staunch advocates of these protection systems. Hard not to cringe when you see the climbable balustrades in older building and furniture hard against balustrades in apartment buildings!

Locks or screens?

Guest Post

New Laws will apply to parents living with children and fall risks 2m or higher off the ground.

The Australian Building Codes Board has decided to include in the NCC to be valid from May 2013, that all windows in new homes and apartments that are more than two metres off the ground must be either:

• window openings of less than 125mm, achieved through a fixed or lockable device;

or protected by a screen of sufficient strength in order to prevent children from falling. [1]

Falls from windows and balconies represent a very serious problem in Australia. Each year, at least 50 children fall from windows or balconies in Australia. For most, the outcome is serious, for some—especially the very young, it is fatal. The majority of serious falls occur in children aged 0—4.[2]

1 in 8 families live in flats, units or apartments in the Sydney region, according to latest census figures. Government policies to increase housing density mean this number is likely to increase.[3]

Safety Nets For Life^® is a pioneer enterprise dedicated to protecting children and pets living in units or two-storey houses against falls from windows, balconies or stairs.

Netzen^® is a new product Safety Nets For Life^® is proud to bring to Australia. Netzen^® was developed by an architect (and mother) from Argentina. She wanted to find a way to prevent accidents without compromising the appearance of her home. Balcony bars were definitely out of the question.

Her goal was to come up with a safe, high quality product that could protect her family but would still allow them to use the balcony or windows as an escape route in case of fire or earthquakes (her family was living in Chile at the time).

Netzen® is a self-installation kit, which includes all the necessary anchorage, including polyamide profiles, screws and plastic anchors, as well as a simple installation guide.

Netzen® has been tested and approved by Argentina’s key national industrial technology authority INTI (Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Industrial) and international construction institute AIDICO (Instituto Tecnológico de la Construcción).

Key Netzen®’s features are:

• product that is attractive, unobtrusive and easy to install in a variety of positions, both inside and outside the building

• patented, trademarked design, by its own installation, that guarantees the required tension and strength, offering a secure and reliable system

• product that is treated with UV factor additives to preserve its life span

• its touch is friendly without sharp edges, that may damage or put children or adults at risk

• design that includes a flashing channel to avoid rain water retention when installed on the outside of the building

• each pack provides the net, anchorages, profiles, screws, pegs, descriptive literature and all necessary items for step-by-step installation

• the unit is possible to remove and reuse

• packaging that is lightweight and practical to send by post anywhere in the world

• it is possible to purchase additional elements, including nets and profiles, as required

Warranty: Two years from installation

For more information:

www.safetynetsforlife.com.au

Luciana Muratori: (02) 9909 1679 or 0404 573 733

info@safetynetsforlife.com.au

Photographs (All images © Safety Nets For Life)

[1] Addendum to the Slips, Trips and Falls final decision RIS

[2] http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/campaigns/childsafety/index.asp

[3] The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Working Party for the Prevention of Children Falling from Residential Buildings Outcomes Report, February 2011