Children enjoy being in 안전놀이터 places, and parents should not worry about their safety or the equipment they play with. Children who use defective equipment may risk their life due to the accidents and injuries that can happen to them. You can maximize their safety through the following common-sense and simple strategies;
Facts and figures
Based on the information from centers for disease control;
Over 200000 children have been treated in various emergency rooms for safety playground-related injuries every year in the United States.
Over 70% of non-fatal injuries related to safety playground occurs on public ones such as daycare centers and schools.
Safety playground-related injuries cost over $1 billion in 1995
Girls are more prone to safe playground injuries than boys
Children between five and nine years are at higher risk for playground-related injuries than other age groups.
Swings cause more injuries, especially on the home playground, since it is hazardous to climb it on public playgrounds.
Playgrounds in various low-income areas need more maintenance compared to those in high-income parts of different countries. For instance, you find more rusty play equipment, trash, and damaged fall surfaces in more impoverished communities than in well-off areas.
Maintenance and Inspection
The following equipment maintenance and inspection measures help in reducing the incidences of injuries on playground areas;
Ground surfaces
Any hard surface such as blacktop, concrete, or asphalt is not safe. Furthermore, grass and packed-earth are unsafe weather, and wear reduces their ability to create a soft fall for a child. The best materials to use on the surface are sand, safety-tested rubber mats, shredded rubber, and pea gravel. Wood chips and rubber mats make easy wheelchair accessibility. Please note that the best surface material is unsafe when the falls are higher than 12 feet.
The cushioned playground surface should extend at least six feet past the perimeter of equipment. Other playground structures like slides and swings require a greater protective perimeter.
Surfaces should not have debris or items such as tree roots, toys, and rocks since they can cause a child to trip and end up falling.
Ensure you maintain playgrounds to remove dangerous debris like sharp sticks, broken glass, and twisted metal that may results in injuries when a child falls on them.
For all equipment
If you notice any damaged part, get it removed or repaired. Inspect wooden equipment for any cracking or splintering. For metal equipment, check if there is rust. Materials used in a safety playground have to be durable and resistant to abuse and any weather. If you find any part is broken, loose, or needs maintenance, report the matter to whoever is responsible.
The fence separating the safety playground from the traffic has to be in good condition and without unintended openings.
Ensure there are no protruding objects unfinished, sharp, or awkward edges like S-shaped hooks or bolts because they can entangle a child’s cloth or cut them.
Surface materials should not have any animal droppings. You can cover it at night to prevent cats, birds, and other animals from using the sandbox as a litter box.
