playground area climbing slides seesaws supervised concrete rubber wood
According to CPSC, there are almost 200,000 visits a year to emergency room due to playground injuries. Almost half of these are due to a lack of adult supervision. Anyone can learn to take a quick stroll around a playground to determine if there are unsafe areas. There is an easy rule called the '5 S's of playground safety': Surface, Structures, Site, Supervision and Safety. Checking for objects lying on the ground or on equipment like glass, nails or bolts sticking out from equipment or broken parts is part of the Site check. If there are wooden play structures, check for splinters or weak spots in the wood that could break. Check areas of equipment that look large enough for a child to get a body part caught. All steps should have good traction.
Most injuries happen when children fall off the equipment. Playground surfaces should have a soft surface such as wood chips, shredded rubber or sand. It should be close to twelve inches deep and surround equipment on all sides at least out to six feet. Asphalt, concrete, dirt and grass are not safe materials for playgrounds. Make sure that you cannot see the concrete footings of any piece of equipment. They should be buried at a safe depth as serious injuries or death has occurred when children strike these objects.
Take a close look at the play structures available. Swing seats should be made of a soft material with spacing of at least two feet apart. The swing sets themselves need to be in a separate area to lessen the chance of someone getting too close to a child swinging. Swing sets and slides should be checked for temperature if it very hot. Burns on hot equipment are common. A bar to make sure the child sits down is a good safety feature. Seesaws should have a tire or cushion so children do not hit the ground on their way down. Seesaws should not be chained down. Children need close supervision when on climbing structures, as this is where most falling injuries happen. Only older children should use them and the equipment should not be taller than eight feet.
Supervision is critical to safe play. Children do not always play on equipment the way it was designed. Climbing on the outside of equipment is a common occurrence. Make sure there are not any areas or tubes that you cannot see your child. Tunnels and crawl spaces should have plexiglass areas so you can see inside.
Be sure to read any posted rules on a playground and make sure your children understand them. A good playground will have clearly separated age-appropriate areas. Equipment for 2 to 5 years old and 5 to 12 should be easy to tell apart. Children up to five can usually understand about three rules. Older children can handle up to five rules easily. If there are no posted rules, have your children understand and agree to rules that you set. If the equipment is wet, it may be best to come back another day as everything will be slippery and water puddles are everywhere.
