Each year over 200,000 children are injured on America’s playground. Most injuries occur when a child falls from equipment onto the ground. Many backyard playsets are placed on dirt or grass which may not adequately protect children when they fall. The proportion of pre-school children (younger than age 5) injured on playground equipment is higher on home playgrounds. Parents should be aware of the hazards that can exist on public and private (home) playgrounds. Use this simple checklist to check playgrounds located at your home, your local school or in your community.
-Make sure surfaces around the play equipment are covered with shock absorbing materials such as 9 to 12 inches of wood chips, mulch, pea gravel or shredded rubber or mats made of safety tested rubber or rubber like materials.
-Check that protective surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. For swings, be sure surfacing extends, in back and front, twice the height of the suspending bar.
-Never attach or allow children to attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines, or pet leashes to play equipment to prevent strangulation of children.
-Check for spaces that could trap children, such as openings in guardrails or between ladder rungs. These spaces should measure less than 3.5 inches OR more than 9 inches.
-Check for sharp points or edges on equipment.
-Check for dangerous hardware, like open “S” hooks or protruding bolt ends or screws.
-Make sure that elevated surfaces, platforms or ramps have guardrails to prevent falls.
-Regularly check playgrounds and surfacing for hazards and good condition.
-Provide close supervision of children on play equipment to make sure they are safe.
April 23-27th is National Playground Safety Week; take a moment to help keep our kids safe!
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