Are High-Rise Balconies Safe? 7 Critical High-Rise Balcony Safety Tips

Balconies have always been a sought-after feature in an apartment. In the wake of COVID-19, city dwellers are more desperate for private outdoor space than ever before. What about high-rise apartments? Are high-rise balconies safe? When stepping foot on a balcony of any type, it’s common to consider our own safety – even for the slightest moment. In a high-rise apartment building, a balcony may be 100 feet, 200 feet or even more off the ground. Are there any specific safety tips for high-rise balconies that we should be aware of? The answer to all of the above questions is YES! Let’s go through several critical high-rise balcony safety tips that any apartment dweller should know.

1. High-Rise Balcony Safety Isn’t Just For Us

When standing on a balcony several stories off the ground, the vast majority of people think the same thing: I don’t want to fall!

That’s a good thing. These instincts have stuck with us over millennia for good reason.

Just as important as not wanting to fall, though, is to consider what’s below our balconies.

Even a small object – a child’s toy, household items, etc. – can seriously injure or even kill someone if they’re struck by it. The higher up your high-rise balcony is, the more damage a falling object can cause.

If a falling object doesn’t hurt anyone, it can still damage cars or destroy property. Not to mention, your building’s management will not be pleased.

High-rise balcony safety precautions benefit ourselves and those below us! We must be mindful of exactly who and what will be harmed, should anything ever fall from our apartment. Facing this reality helps us keep safety in mind at all times.

2. Children & Pets Should ALWAYS Be Supervised On A High-Rise Balcony

This one is straightforward. Children and pets should not be allowed on a high-rise balcony without supervision – period!

Railings can be climbed, fit through or even crawled under. A dog, cat or child can easily put themselves at risk in multiple ways.

Kids will be kids. They like to climb things and do crazy stuff. On a high-rise balcony, the risk of a fall is simply too high to ever take chances. Kids must be supervised closely when on the balcony for their own safety.

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They also must be watched so they don’t harm others. All it takes is one child throwing something over the railing, even unintended, to potentially end someone’s life.

Without complete supervision and guidance, kids and pets should not be on the balcony for any reason.

If you want to take some additional steps towards making a high-rise balcony more safe, check out tip no. 4.

3. The Wind Is Significantly Stronger Up High (Bring Things Inside)

Whatever the windspeed you experience at ground level is, there are stronger winds blowing above you.There are a few reasons for this.

Rather than get into the science of this, I’ll share my experience.

On a clear, sunny day with very little humidity, we still feel a breeze on our balcony a few hundred feet off the ground. We routinely see garbage floating quickly by our windows regardless of weather. If we’re eating outside, a loose napkin is as good as gone. A routine thunderstorm is strong enough to rearrange the few pieces of furniture we keep out there, assuming we haven’t followed step 6 that day.

Because of this, it’s important to be mindful of the wind at all times. Anything that is small, light or susceptible to the “sail affect” (i.e. wind cannot pass through) should be secured in some way or brought inside when not being used.

4. Inspect The Railings, But Stay Clear Of Them Otherwise

If you’re just moving into your apartment, it’s a good practice to inspect your balcony railings.

By inspect, I mean to check for looseness or damage and to be aware of gaps/openings.

Other than that, I recommend staying away from railings. This is a bit dramatic – you can almost surely stand directly next to your railing, rest your elbows on it, etc.

“Staying away” means to generally keep a little distance from your high-rise railing. By doing so, you’ll eliminate the chance of dropping something, resting a glass/phone/whatever else on it as well as the risk of falling yourself.

“The best safety practice is prevention”. Lame but true.

If you’d like to make your balcony a bit more secure, here are some ways you can.

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5. Report Any Perceived Hazards To Management

A high-rise balcony safety practice starts and ends with us, since we actually live in the apartment each day. This doesn’t let the building’s management off the hook, though.

Ideally, a high-rise balcony should be inspected by the building’s management before a new tenant moves in. Even so, mistakes do happen – a loose section of railing or material can be missed.

If you notice any wobbly railings, cracks, damage or other loose materials, it’s best to report them to management – preferably in an email.

Not only will this potentially prevent an accident in the future, but you’ve also waived yourself of being liable. As tenants, we aren’t authorized to fix or maintain the building, but a thorough investigation will follow any type of accident. You definitely don’t want to be involved or worse, be seen as culpable.

6. Secure Furniture & Other Objects Ahead Of Storms

We’ve already spoken quite a bit about various high-rise balcony safety hazards, including the wind.

In short, severe weather and high winds go hand-in-hand. I highly recommend bringing anything you can inside prior to a big storm hitting.

Should you need to leave anything outside, such as a table or large furniture, it should be secured.

The easiest way to secure high-rise furniture, assuming it isn’t bolted down or tied to something structural, is to weigh it down with ballast or counterweights. The easiest way to do this is to use a couple of 50-lb sandbags or some other small-yet-dense equivalent.

Personally, we flip our table upside down and put a 60-lb umbrella base on top of it before any big windstorm reaches us. It has never budged, even when our balcony door was ripped open by the wind.

7. Avoid Fires & Combustibles

Ah, the first high-rise balcony safety tip that isn’t related to falls.

The safety codes of most jurisdictions prohibit the use of fire and combustibles on apartment balconies. Apartment leases typically specify this rule, too.

This means no fire pits, charcoal grills or propane (grills, heaters, etc).

While this may seem overboard, it makes sense. Fires produce lots of smoke, which can drift into other people’s apartments above you. Should a fire get out of hand, it can quickly become more than just your problem. If you have another balcony above yours, the heat of fire can interfere with the materials overhead (aka your upstairs neighbor’s balcony)!

Yes, you can most likely use a candle on your balcony with no danger or repercussion so long as it’s kept away from anything flammable.

Other than that, it’s best to just avoid fire – for your sake and for other’s peace of mind.

High-Rise Balcony Safety In A Nutshell

If there’re only two tips to take away from this article, it’s these: Firstly, always be mindful of fall hazards! Secondly, consider the effects that your actions have on your building and neighbors. If you keep these tips in mind, you drastically reduce the chance of any accident ever occurring on your balcony. I hope this article has been helpful.