WINDOWS


In particular, it says, there should


be a process in place to make sure restrictors are free of defects or failures in the mechanism. To ignore this advice comes at a cost.


CHECK AND CHECK AGAIN Only last year regulator, the Care Quality Commission, prosecuted a provider and registered manager of a nursing home after a resident died following a fall from his second-floor bedroom window. At the time the window did not have


window restrictors and the resident had been identified as at risk of severe panic attack and of falling. The provider and manager admitted


they failed to provide safe care and treatment by failing to take measures to prevent falls from windows. The provider was fined £16,500 fine and


ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge. The registered manager was fined £1,000 fine and a £170 victim surcharge. Falkingham said: “This is an issue


that estates managers need to get on top of.


“Windows must be of good quality.


There is little value putting a restrictor on a timber window if the timber itself is rotten. “And not all PVC windows are


reinforced with metal inside the frames, so it’s important this is checked.” Timber windows can be tested by scraping the wood or pushing a small


blunt metal object into the frame to grade the quality. PVC windows can be drilled with a small hss drill bit in order to see if they have been reinforced. The location and type of restrictor is


also key. Safehinge Primera’s products come in both two- and three-part options and the right solution depends on the type of window. The three-part restrictor is a


completely-bespoke product which came from listening to customer feedback calling for an even-stronger solution which would assist in reducing pass-through from outside. These are fitted down the full length


of the vent and also fixed along the bottom where the risk of pass-through is highest. Toby Staff, managing director of


Newstar Door Controls, agrees that the message is not getting through.


GETTING THE MESSAGE He said: “To assist estates and facilities managers following the alert we retested our products and confirmed that when our keyed window restrictor is used in tandem with our non-keyed fixed version, a maximum holding force of 5250N is achieved, substantially more than what is required in the standard. “We have also further tested our keyed


window restrictors, which showed a maximum holding force of 1907N; and our non-keyed window restrictor, 2641N.”


mhdf magazine 21


And he said an additional problem of


keyed restrictors being forced open with common flat-bladed instruments such as knives and screwdrivers; could be addressed in two ways. “As a manufacturer we have looked at our designs and our key has three teeth, which means it cannot be opened using another instrument and, if for any reason the lock fails, it will fail in the locked position,” he told hdm. “This means that, for new facilities, or


where new windows are being installed, there is a single solution that has been tested to adhere to the higher demands. “It’s time to get the message out that thousands of restrictors installed in health facilities may not be giving the level of security required and trusts could be falling foul of their duty to keep patients safe.”


www.safehinge.com www.new-star.co.uk


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