Preventing Playground Injuries
August 7, 2018
According to The Center for Disease Control, an average of two-hundred thousand children age 14 and under sustain playground injuries every year. The CDC also states that 45% of playground injuries are concussions, broken bones, dislocations, amputations, or internal injuries. The consequences of playground injuries can be tragic.
How to Avoid Playground Injuries
Next time you consider letting your children run wild on a playground, ask yourself the following questions:
Are the playground conditions safe?
The center for disease control also states playground injuries are the main cause of severe (but not fatal) injuries in children. It has been recommended by the CDC that better materials are used under playground equipment, as opposed to the common dirt or grass surface.
Is the equipment maintained properly?
AssesEquipment that is not properly maintained can be extremely hazardous. The National Program for Playground Safety recommends managing an equipment maintenance checklist to ensure proper and consistent upkeep.
Check to make sure there are no openings between half of a foot and one foot where a child’s head are limbs could get stuck. Also make sure there are no open areas at the top of the slide that could cause a child’s sweatshirt strings to get caught and potentially result in a strangulation.
It’s important and mandatory to check for rust or damaged pieces of the equipment. Chipped paint, cracked piping, or missing bolts are all hazardous issues that must be checked for and fixed immediately.
Are the playground surfaces wet or slippery?
During the summer months, plastic and metal playground equipment heats up to temperatures capable of burning a child. Metal slides are highly frowned upon by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, but still exist and cause many playground injuries.
Parents or guardians must check to ensure the surfaces of the playground equipment and structures are not sweltering. If the surfaces are not in a shaded area, they are likely to be 5 and sometimes 10 degrees hotter than in the shade.
The CPSC also says that unshaded concrete around the playground can cause burns even if the temperature outside is in the 70’s! Burns do not only occur in high temperatures. No Fault safety tiles or a No Fault surfaces can be used to prevent such playground injuries.
Is it possible for your child to get stuck in the equipment?
Playgrounds with netting to protect children from falls, often found on indoor play areas, may seem safer at first glance. This is not always the case. Cargo nets can pose danger to children if the holes in the netting are too large. According to the CPSC, netting with holes between 1.5 to 2.5 feet can be very dangerous on a playground. The holes need to fit a child’s head easily, but must be too small for a child’s body.
Some parents let their children run around on a playground with a bicycle helmet, thinking it’s safer. In 1999, this practice was condemned after a 3-year-old passed away due to strangulation. The boy’s helmet became wedged in between two parts of a play structure as he tried to pass through a narrow area.
Is the playground currently over the capacity limit?
If a playground is overcrowded with children running wild, it may be a hazard to your child’s safety. More often than not, there are no attendants in a playground area to monitor this type of situation. When the play area is too crowded, wait to let your child run free. This can help avoid situations like children being bumped off of high-up structures or slides, which could potentially lead to severe injuries.
For Playground Injuries, Contact Jodat Law Group
If you are concerned that your child has a personal injury due to the negligent conditions of a playground, contact the playground injuries lawyer at Jodat for a free consultation! Sit one-on-one with an attorney and determine if you have a case to prove negligence against the playground owner or property manager.
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