Check Your Windows for your Health and Safety
The HSE has announced an issue with window side-stay restrictors. Anyone who uses these products may be at risk of an incident, such as a fall from height, due to the defect in the product. Side stay restrictors are often used in social and health care premises. This is why the health and safety warning has been released.
Action is required of any facility, business, or home using these side stay restrictors. In health and social care facilities, it is often a matter of protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Since people are more vulnerable to issues such as this, the HSE has stated that the failure of the devices requires one to remove all of the devices and replace them with those that are not defective.
Hospitals, schools, public buildings, care homes, and other settings have been targeted as the audience to hear this warning, but it is a good idea to consider other potential hazards. Homeowners with small children should also consider checking any window restrictor products in their home for any failure to prevent an incident. Workstation risk assessments need to be carried out in any work area that may have windows where a fall from height could be an issue. There are many dangers in life, from walking across a street to thinking one is protected by a simple side stay restrictor. This is another reason the warning has been issued. It is to make companies and people aware that there is a potential problem and prevent any accident before it occurs.
