Balcony, window and roof safety

If you live in a tall building, falls from height pose a risk to you and your family, especially small children.

In the event of any damage to your windows, balcony railings or glazing, it is important you report these repairs to Axis at once, so we can make them safe or carry out an urgent repair.

This includes any damage to balcony or walkway railings, balustrades or glazing panels to communal walkways.

To make sure you and your family stay safe in your home, remember:

• Don’t disconnect the window restrictor on your window unless you need to open the window fully to clean it. The restrictor is a safety device that prevents the window opening wide enough to allow a child to fall out.
• Never leave small children unattended in a room where windows or French doors leading to balconies are open.
• Keep the area below windows and balcony railings clear of furniture or stored items. These could be used by a child to climb out of an open window or climb over a balcony railing.
• Don’t put any material (such as vinyl sheet or tiles) down on your balcony. This will prevent rainwater from draining properly and may also make the surface slippery when wet, causing you to slip and fall.

Remember, if there is a fault or a repair is needed to your windows or balcony railings, you should report this to us at once.

Please note that customers are not allowed access to roof areas, unless the roof forms part of the buildings means of escape route.

If contractors or utility providers employed by residents need access to roofs, they must contact us to get a permit to work by emailing us at buildingsafety@swan.org.uk