2024-11-12 12:31:47 +0000
Senior Coroner Alison Mutch's Prevention of Future Deaths Report stating concern over the current situation regarding window safety law sent to Michael Gove.
To: Sir Kier Starmer and Angela Rayner
Stop Children Falling from Windows and Balconies
We the undersigned demand the Government prioritises urgent changes to housing and window safety law. This is in light of the tragic incident in Plaistow where young Aalim Makail sadly fell from a kitchen window to his death. The previous government has done nothing to minimise the risk that another person will fall from a tower block or high-rise flat. Further, given the falls of Renoy Ellis and Emma Ramsay we ask for a review of Balcony Safety Law as well.
Specifically, we demand that Sir Kier Starmer and The New Labour Government prioritises the following changes to Housing/Window Safety Law:
1)Window Restrictors are fitted as mandatory requirement in all rented residential settings with tower blocks and high rise flats being a priority. In high Rise Blocks, two window restrictors should be fitted; one fitted in the frame, the other being similar to a door safety chain.
2) We want yearly window safety checks to be carried out and a certificate provided, similar to gas safety checks.
3)We demand education for new parents, Resident Services Officers, Landlords and other interested parties around fall risk. Including but not restricted to, Public Information advertisements, leaflets and discussion about this risk for new parents during maternity/parenting classes.
4)When someone moves into a new property both they and the landlord, or their agent, check the window restrictors, the tenant is shown how to use the window restrictors and is reminded to keep objects children can climb up away from windows, which is then signed off. This is assuming the window restrictors are in a fit state to begin with. If they are not the tenant wouldn’t have to sign and they would not pay any rent until the situation is resolved.
5)All incidents of this nature to be investigated by an external agency, and not the owner (Landlord, Council or Housing Association etc.) in order to ensure transparency and to make sure all information regarding the incident is available to the public.
6)Any person who provides a witness statement to the Police regarding this type of incident, should be referred for a Trauma assessment. Welfare checks should be carried out by trained trauma specialists. This should not be the responsibility of RSOs, as they are not trained to deal with these issues. NHS Services and Councils have to communicate regarding medical housing issues. This is in order to ensure that anyone affected receives the necessary help and support that is needed as soon as possible.
7)In the light of Renoy Ellis’ fall in Kennington and Emma Ramsay’s fall in Ibiza, we also ask for an urgent review of balcony safety law, including education, safety inspections and the current 1.1m minimum height being increased and for this conversation to be held internationally.
8)We would also request that the government and local authorities consider whether it is ever appropriate for families with very young children to be placed in tower blocks at all. We acknowledge the current housing crisis, but feel that new housing for families should be of two storeys at the maximum.
Why is this important?
Tony Gurney felt motivated to create this petition after hearing the tragic news about young Aalim Makail falling from the 15th floor of his family’s home in Plaistow.
This is something that no family should have to experience and realistically some simple easy changes might make a big difference. Words do not describe the devastation Aalim’s family must be feeling adequately, or any other family in that situation. Additionally, I feel I have to add Emma Atkinson's name to this petition to ask the government to try and stop people falling from windows. It's unbelievable. How many people have to fall to their deaths like this?
In her Prevention of Future Deaths report to Michael Gove regarding a man falling at Stretford House in Southport, Senior Coroner Alison Mutch has stated that “It is a matter of concern that, aside from certain buildings designed for educational or healthcare use, or provided for vulnerable adults, current building regulations do not require fixed window restrictors to be fitted to opening windows in high-rise residential buildings; and in relation to windows of the type and design in use in Stretford House, there is no current requirement to retrofit fixed window restrictors.” (https://landlordsdefence.co.uk/man-falls-to-death-because-of/ )
Given Renoy Ellis, Emma Ramsay and Liam Payne falling it seems imperative to review balcony safety law also .
One of the reasons that Tony was inspired to create this petition is because he helped a little girl who fell 60 feet from a window in 2016 in Southwark. She survived because of Tony’s NHS training as an ODP, coupled the with optional First Aid Training provided by the NHS, and the support of the London Ambulance Service, London Air Ambulance and the NHS hospital they were taken to.
Previous Governments have done nothing to ensure tragic accidents like this never happen again and neither has any council. Tony still suffers from trauma symptoms to this day. He has wanted to try and take action to address this serious health and safety issue but was told not to due to his anger. Hearing about Aalim’s tragic death made him determined to try and address this issue.
Tony asked his RSO for help in addressing this issue. Tony reports that he was yelled at, and told it was ‘none of his business’. Tony’s GP referred him to the Mental Health Team for a PTSD assessment, which unfortunately wasn’t undertaken at the time. It has taken Tony approximately 7 years to get help and he felt abandoned and alone. He does not want this to happen to anyone else in the future. Tony’s GP and Local Council have no obligation in law to communicate with each other.
“I’m told by my GP that Council’s just throw their letters in the bin and ignore them anyway, hence paragraph 6. I’ve asked for help repeatedly and have been told the guidelines are more important than me and our safety. The stress of the situation is also making my Crohn’s, Fibromyalgia and ADHD worse.”
Tony has finally started the PTSD Therapy, and he is hoping that by starting this petition it might help other people who have been through this experience in their healing, including himself, and to make sure adequate support is in place for the future. We also hope for all families to be protected and to ensure no one ever goes through what these families and communities have in the future. (Please note, we hope the consequence of paragraph 6 would be that it helps anyone with medical housing issues). Tony has been encouraged to find a creative outlet and created this video of a fall from 60ft (5th floor) https://youtu.be/aoshn6ffqc0
There is also another cost in children falling from windows in such tragic circumstances, and that is the cost to the staff of Emergency Services and NHS. They have to deal with something that is totally avoidable, and extremely traumatic. According to Rigas, “emergencies involving children are often considered to have a greater psychological impact on healthcare workers” and “The prevalence of PTSD in healthcare workers in critical departments reaches 30%, much higher than the general population (3.5%)”. He goes on to state that “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 80% of staff are emotionally and physically exhausted, while 45% of nurses reported not receiving enough emotional support”. (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Paediatric Healthcare Workers” by Rigas, Jan 2024 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10801477/ ).
Current Law states that window restrictors are ‘recommended’ rather than compulsory. According to Pyramid Solutions, “There are no laws in the United Kingdom that require window restrictors to be installed in buildings. However, the UK government recommends that window restrictors be installed in buildings with children under the age of five, as well as buildings with vulnerable adults, to prevent accidents and injuries from falls.” (Pyramid Solutions June 2024
Stopping a child falling from their home should not be an optional extra. It should be a legal requirement. The fact nothing has been done to change this situation is a sign of institutional negligence. Local councils and central government could have done something to change this time and time again, but they have failed. Sir Kier Starmer has said he wants to reinstate faith in politics and move to a model of preventative medicine and this could help him achieve these aims. Given Senior Coroner Mutch's Prevention of Death Notification that was delivered to Michael Gove, it seems there is compelling need for these laws to be reviewed.
Further, in light of Renoy Ellis’ fall in Kennington, and, because of Emma Ramsay’s and Liam Payne's falls in Ibiza (even though they are adults) and the incident at the Tate Modern in 2019, we ask for a review of Balcony Safety Law and hope that this conversation can be happen at an international level.
I hope that you will sign this petition in order to make sure we do everything that we can to avoid these tragedies from ever happening again and to help anyone affected by them with their healing. You might help change a lot of people’s lives and save their sanity as well as their children.
Thank you
Tony Gurney aka Groover The Barbarian
(With thanks to Jackie Frances for her help with wording the petition)
