Eurocell, the UK’s market-leading manufacturer and distributor of quality PVC-u window and door profiles, has launched a brand new reversible window system to facilitate safe and easy cleaning of multi-storey buildings.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently reported that falls from height result in around 50 deaths and several thousand injuries each year. It specifically drew attention to the fact that window cleaners are particularly vulnerable, with most accidents occurring through the use of portable ladders.
In response to this requirement, Eurocell took the decision to reinvent the reversible window to allow the pane to slide and tilt through 180 degrees, thereby enabling it to be cleaned in safety, from inside the property. The window tilts completely outside the building line, so there is no disruption to curtains, blinds or ornaments on the window cill.
The proportion of multi-storey buildings has increased from 36 per cent of starts in 2003 to 45 per cent of starts in 2007 (UK Construction Market Development, Published by Market and Business Development, July 2008). Many building designers will therefore find the new reversible window from Eurocell a highly effective method of ‘designing out’ potential hazards for maintenance teams, as part of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) 2007, which came into force last year. Steve Brown, Product Manager at Eurocell, explains: “It is an amazing fact that each year several thousand people are killed or injured as a result of falls from height, which is why we are encouraging all our fabricators to explain the benefits of reversible windows to their customers. Our goal is to try and reduce these appalling statistics by creating a window system that has ‘designed-in’ safety.”
Additional safety features on the reversible window include internal glazing, which again avoids the need for external access should the glass need replacing in the future – another key consideration of CDM requirements. It also means that glass on ground floor levels cannot be removed by burglars, therefore providing homeowners and residents with added peace of mind.
Eurocell’s reversible window incorporates child-safety catches which restrict the aperture so that children cannot fall through, while still allowing high levels of ventilation. Fully bevelled frames and sashes on all the profiles help developers add ‘kerb appeal’ to their properties.
The reversible window system is available from stock in White along with Rosewood, Oak and Mahogany effect finishes. Profiles have a compartmentalized cross section for enhanced thermal efficiency.
With a 70mm front to back dimension the system is ideal for both new build and replacement projects and means that time consuming and expensive plasterwork is avoided when replacing existing timber windows.
For information on the Eurocell reversible window system contact the Customer Care Team on 0300 333 6525.