The engineer of the Housing Culture Association advises: This is how we will protect the children from injury
The danger is also in the yard.
playground.
Photo illustration: Oren Ben Hakon
We keep an eye on them on the road, at school, in the playground.
These are our children, who are sometimes unaware of the dangers along the way, and we responsible adults should do everything to reduce the risk of being harmed.
But it is precisely in the vicinity of our place of residence - in and near the shared building - that we do not always know how to identify the dangers.
The Housing Culture Association, as one that is involved not only in the maintenance and renovation of the buildings but also in the life of the community, does everything to help the tenants maintain the safety of the children.
"Safety faults are an integral part of the routine in shared buildings, and we must make sure that they are dealt with in real time so that children and teenagers are not harmed," says Tamir Levy, chief engineer of the Housing Culture Association. "There are many types of hazards that need to be addressed. The railings of the stairwells.Children like to go up and down quickly on the common stairs of the building and use the railing, which sometimes causes them to slip and fall.It is important to explain of course the danger of this but also important to strengthen the railing, not to be loose. Be standard so that children do not put their head inside.
"Regarding the stairs themselves - the standard requires the construction of stairs at a uniform and unchanging height and a certain number of stairs. For example, it is prohibited to install one or two steps, the minimum allowed is three steps. Proper lighting must also be installed in the stairwell to prevent tripping in the dark. "It is forbidden to store objects such as bicycles, carts, etc. in the stairwell, to prevent falls. Unnecessary objects can also be an obstacle in critical situations such as evacuating the building in an emergency."
Levy stresses the need to keep the roofs of the common building locked, to prevent children - and even strangers - from going up and risk falling: "There are roofs that are inaccessible and there are no stairs or a ladder arranged for them. "And such roofs also have no guardrails. You have to make sure that the openings are locked because not only the stay on the roof is dangerous but also the climb itself. We have heard of cases where teenagers climbed on roofs to inhale air conditioners, and taking safety measures can prevent this."
The shared garbage rooms must also be locked and inaccessible.
Many times children choose to hide among the bins and any object that may fall on them can cause injuries.
"The same is true of shelters and auxiliary rooms," says Levy, "the entrances to the auxiliary rooms and shelters must be locked, and care must be taken to keep them tidy and inaccessible."
Danger in high voltage
Injuries to children in shared buildings can be caused by almost any object in the space that serves as a potential for improvised games.
"There is the issue of the external bars installed in the windows in the apartments," Levy adds. "Recently there was a case of a child getting stuck in them and not being able to get out, or God forbid a small child can slip between the bars. The children should be prevented from reaching or climbing. ".
A particularly sensitive issue in the field of child safety in shared buildings is the sewers in the yards.
Many children go down to play in the yard of the building and when there is a broken or open manhole, they may get stuck in it or fall inside.
It is very important to make sure that the manhole covers are properly closed and standard, not broken and do not pose a safety hazard.
The water reservoirs on the ground floors and the pump rooms, especially in the new buildings, can also have the potential for injuries and care must be taken to keep them closed.
Levy warns of malfunctions in the electrical systems in buildings (electrical cabinets on the ground floor, cabinets adjacent to each and every apartment) as high risk factors for injury by children.
"Make sure that the electrical cabinets are closed and locked and that the shelters are in order," he emphasizes. "It is recommended to install 'closures' on the sockets to prevent children from playing with them."
As a rule, Levy says, almost any area can be used for children for improvised games and it is important to make sure to limit the areas where they can walk around the building: "Games should be allowed only in designated plots or gardens, and not games in the lobby or stairwell. ", Where children often play, should be well maintained. If there are hazards such as broken paving stones - they should be fenced. It is also better that the building doors (including the front door) and the mirrors in the lobby are not made of glass."
It is important to check the condition of the hard claddings, such as mosaic tiles and marble tiles on the walls of the common building.
If hazards are found, they should be dealt with immediately or reported to the local authority.
In addition, periodic inspections of elevators must be maintained and performed according to the manufacturer's instructions.
An expert engineer checks the integrity of the elevator and makes sure that there is a balance between it and the floor on each floor where it stops, in addition to checking that the cables and cranes are in order and that the electrical system is in order.
In conclusion, says Levy, it is very important to raise awareness of the issue of safety in children in shared buildings: "It is recommended that the house committee hire an engineer once a year who will visually inspect the building, locate and warn of dangers in the building."
What is stated in the article includes content and commercial / marketing information, and the Israel Today system is not responsible for its reliability.
The publication of the contents and commercial information in the article does not constitute a recommendation or offer by the Israel Today system to purchase and / or use the services or products in the article.
