Jackloc, a unique safety product developed by a Leicestershire based company, has been selected for installation in care homes across the county to provide added protection for elderly and vulnerable residents.

Jackloc restricts the opening of windows and doors, using a flexible cable attachment. Its ability to prevent incidents such as falls from windows, and intruder entries, was the reason Jackloc was selected for installation on every risk window in Leicestershire County Council's care homes.

Using a flexible cable attached to the window frame and the opening sash, Jackloc allows a window or door to be opened no wider than the 100mm gap recommended by health & safety professionals; while a key can be used to release the cable, permitting wider opening when necessary. The Jackloc can easily be retrofitted to any type of window or door frame, whether made of wood, UPVC, aluminium and steel.

The decision to specify Jackloc for the Leicestershire care homes was an easy one for Andy Hollingshead, health and safety senior adviser for Leicestershire County Council, who comments: "As soon as I was shown Jackloc, I was convinced it had a vital role to play in protecting residents, and in preventing accidents in buildings across our region. It is such a simple, low cost invention, but it has a major positive impact, that I can see it becoming a recommended fitting for most windows in the future." With Jackloc fitted, elderly and vulnerable residents can enjoy the benefits of having windows open, while care staff can be sure there is no possibility of anyone accidentally falling out of an open window. Additionally, at ground floor level, Jackloc can also provide protection against intruder entry.

Jackloc is building a growing national and international reputation for its capabilities. Already well established in the care home sector across the UK, Jackloc already features as a vital safety fitting in an increasing range of buildings, from hotels to schools, hospitals, student accommodation and social housing.