Protecting our Kids

One of Ray White Beecroft's owners has had to modify his house to suit new regulations about protecting children from domestic falls. The requirement was to reduce the gaps between railings, and to raise the top of the railing. The result shows how such modifications can be done cheaply and attractively.

Also the steps from the patio were too high, so the owner had to rebuild them with three instead of just two steps.



These railings and steps were originally built fifteen years ago, and were approved back then, but a recent council inspection pointed out that the regulations have changed and the railings and steps didn't meet the new requirements.
If you are planning extensions or modifications to your house, you need to find out what the rules involve, obviously its best to build the railings right in the first place. The recent media attention to the 400 or so Australian children hurt last year falling out of windows is certainly going to increase attention paid to these regulations.