Did you know?
> 200,000+ ER visits occur annually for injuries sustained on playgrounds.
> Nearly 70% of accidents occur on public playgrounds.
> 15 child fatalities occur from playground equipment each year.
> 79% of all playground injuries involve falls.
> Children ages 5 to 9 are the most at-risk group.
Playgrounds, especially public ones, are great spaces for kids to get some fresh air, make new friends, have some fun and burn off the excess energy. As someone that oversees your public playground, it’s important to make sure faulty equipment, improper surfaces or unsafe behavior doesn’t turn a good day in to an emergency room visit.
The following equipment is responsible for the most injuries:
Parental guide for preventing playground injuries:
} Always Supervise Playtime – kids under 5 should be supervised at all times. Make sure you are positioning yourself so that you can maintain a visual line of sight on them!
} Dress children appropriately for playtime – loose clothing and drawstrings are hazardous. Make sure kids wear shoes or sneakers at the playground to protect their feet.
} Choose age-appropriate play equipment – older and younger children should play in separate areas. Toddlers are unable to use metal swings, seesaws or slides safely on their own.
} Ensure playground surfaces are safe – sand, wood chips, pea gravel and synthetic rubber mulch are best. Blacktops and concrete are not recommended. The length of soft surfacing under swings should be double the height of the swing set.
} Only visit well-maintained playgrounds – look out for sharp points or edges in equipment. Inspect the playground (especially a sandbox) for splintered wood, broken glass, sharp metal, uncovered chains, loose bolts, wet spots, or missing ladder rungs. Inspection is key ! All playground equipment should be inspected and maintained regularly.
Looking for more helpful playground information or planning on replacing outdated and unsafe playground equipment? Give us a call! We can safely say we are here to help make sure your kids can safely play!
ParknPool | Lexington, VA | sales@parknpool.com | 877.777.3700
