Choosing a window opening control device.
April 21, 2025
By Roto North America
In 1997, NSC and the Window Safety Task Force established Window Safety Week to raise awareness of window safety and fall prevention. Observed during the first full week of April, Window Safety Week coincides with the arrival of spring when people being to open their windows, thus drastically increasing the risk of child falls.
According to UC Davis Health, “Each year, around eight children, age five or under, die and about another 3,300 are injured from falling out of windows in the United States.” Some may rely on night latches, vent limiters, or window screens to prevent these accidents, however, these devices do not meet ASTM standards and will not prevent against child falls.
Under ASTM F2090-21, “Window opening control devices provide a means that the window, when opened in an initial operation, will satisfy the CPSC recommendation to open less than four inches. The four-in. dimension is drawn from related building codes and is universally accepted as the appropriate dimensions to prevent a child from passing through balcony or guard railing systems.”
In addition to this, in order to comply with The International Residential Code (IRC), “Basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room shall have not less than one operable emergency escape and rescue opening…Window opening control devices and fall prevention devices complying with ASTM F2090-21 shall be permitted for use on windows serving as a required emergency escape and rescue opening and shall be not more than 70 inches above the finished floor.”
Vent limiters and night latches allow for ventilation, while providing additional protection against unwanted intruders. However, they are not ASTM F2090-21 certified and do not comply with the IRC Section R310 requirements for emergency and escape and rescue openings. However window hardware manufacturers offer solutions, such as the Angel WOCD from Roto, that fulfill both of these requirements in addition to European (BS EN 14351-1:2006) Standards and the UK Police ‘Secured By Design’ initiative. Such WOCDs limit the window opening to prevent falls, provide ventilation and surpass all forced-entry tests. They can be retrofitted within a matter of minutes.
