Screen Safety
SCREEN MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
SMA on window safety
An
insect screen is a window accessory that is sometimes added for health and
comfort to allow fresh air when the window is open, while keeping insects out.
It is designed to be as near invisible as possible to preserve the architectural
and decorative appeal of the structure.
Insect
screens will not keep burglars out or children in. They are not security
equipment or safetydevices. They are expected to be easily removed without
tools to facilitate cleaning and maintenance and, where codes mandate, to
permit escape and rescue in an emergency.
SMA
reviewed the issue of child window falls in 1984 and joined forces with the
National Safety Council (NSC) to present an educational program in Chicago in January 1985.
The program, which became known as “KIDS CAN’T FLY” was repeated in San Francisco in 1990.
SMA and NSC involved others in these presentations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics,American National
Standards Institute, Alliance of American Insurers and American Society of Safety
Engineers.
The
US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) convened a round table in 1994 to discuss
falls from windows. Several representatives of the SMA were active participants
and were subsequently appointed by the CPSC Chair, Ann Brown, to a special CPSC
ad hoc committee on window falls. The initial charge of the committee was to
develop federal standards on window safety. The National Safety Council also
served on this committee and was host to the first meeting in Chicago.
The
work of the roundtable led to the formation of a group charged with the
development of performance standards for fall prevention devices through ASTM.
This was done under CPSC auspices and led to the creation of two standards:
ASTM F2090-Specifications for Window Fall Prevention Devices with Emergency
Escape Mechanisms Rescue Windows and ASTM F-2006 Standard Safety Specifications
for Window Fall Prevention Devices for Non-Emergency Escape and Rescue Windows.
At
the same time a window industry coalition consisting of SMA, the Window and
Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) and the American Architectural
Manufacturers Association (AAMA) was formed under the auspices of the National
Safety Council to undertake consumer education on window safety. The Window
Safety Task Force also includes representatives of CPSC, NAHB and NFPA. The
task force sponsors NATIONAL WINDOW SAFETY WEEK every year during the last week
of April.
New
Campaign Emphasizes Health Aspect of Screens For Health's Sake…Screen It
"For
Health’s Sake", a vigorous new campaign introduced at the 52nd Annual
Screen Manufacturers Association Meeting in Florida, is tasked with
revitalizing and refocusing industry efforts countrywide to the necessity of
window screening for ventilation and protection against infectious disease.
For
hundreds of years screens in various forms have been used to provide comfort,
as well as a barrier between infectious insects. The screening industry and its
advanced technology developed methods to weave tighter screens for doors and windows
allowing comfortable ventilation without distorting the outside view. And while
many industries focus on providing the necessary information, installation and
repair of screens to protect and prevent the spread of disease there is a movement
gaining momentum in the Minnesota Legislature to focus attention on insect
screens as security devices rather than on their intended use, for health and
ventilation.
There
is also a consensus among Screen Manufacturers Associationmembers to refocus
public attention on this hot topic legislation. When the Screen Manufacturers
Association developed the "Kids Can’t Fly" program in 1985, it was
because of an urgent need to inform the general public that screens were to
keep insects out, not children in. The primary message in this campaign was of
course to not think that insect screens are a form of physical security for
children or adults. In actuality, they have always been and will be a tool to
keep modern man protected from external health issues while in the home.
Below
are routines and reminders to help homeowners maintain health by understanding
the history, the morphing threat of insects, and the danger of not having
proper screening installed.
Keeping
Mosquitoes Out Of Your Home
Check
all doors, windows and window screens, making sure these are in good repair and
are tight. Replacement screens should be 18x16 mesh per inch. Mosquitoes in the
home may be sprayed with aerosol sprays containing pyrethrins. Reduce outdoor
lighting to reduce attraction of the home to mosquitoes. Keeping porch lights
off and replacing traditional white light bulbs with yellow ones will also help
to reduce attraction. Flooding or heavy rainfall produce temporary quiet pools
of water which can remain for weeks, available for mosquito breeding. Mosquito reproduction
is rapid and a generation can be completed in as few as 5 -7 days. Hot, dry
periods would quickly dry out water pools and strand many mosquito larvae while
warm weather with continuous rainfall would encourage rapid buildup. Some
species, however, are able to increase in mid-to-late summer. These often
include the Culex mosquitoes which can transmit the West Nile Virus.
Understanding
Why the United States
Seem To Have Fewer Mosquito-Borne Diseases Than Other Parts Of The World?
Our
lifestyle and our living conditions protect us. I've always said that the three
main reasons more Americans don't die from mosquitovectored diseases are:
window screens; air conditioning; and primetime TV. We're not outside as much
as we used to be. And when we're outside, we're jogging and outrunning the
mosquitoes!
What
Can Individuals Do to Provide Effective PersonalProtection?
Consider
"The Three Ps" – Protect one's self; Prevent breeding; and Premises
control when looking for protection. When you're outdoors, protect yourself by
wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing with long sleeves and pants.
Mosquitoes can bite through tight blue jeans. Use a repellent. Use products
with DEET, or botanical alternatives. To "prevent breeding,"
eliminating sources of standing water around your property. Mosquitoes can lay
eggs in a very small amount of water. Premises control means making sure
mosquitoes don't get inside your house. Checking your window and door screens
for holes. Making sure your screen door shuts quickly. And installing yellow
lighting outside that won't attract mosquitoes.
There
are many citations which all point to the installation and maintenance of
screens for health safety.
For additional information contact the Screen Manufacturers
Association, 2850 So.
Ocean Blvd., Palm
Beach, FL 33480-6242 or visit SMA's website
at
http://www.smacentral.org.
Kathryn R. Fitzgerald
