Injury Prevention on the Playground
Supervision and Thinking Ahead are Crucial to Preventing Injuries
Mar 18, 2009
Accidents are a leading cause of child injury and death, but, with proper precautions, many can be prevented (Canadian Standards Association, 2008). Falls can be minimized and avoided by:
- Repairing uneven or broken steps
- Replacing or removing loose carpeting
- Making sure that rugs have non-skid backings in place
- Installing child-proof gates at the tops and bottoms of stairs
- Recognizing that poorly built or improperly fitted window screens may not be strong enough to keep a child from falling through windows
Falls are a Very Common Reason for Serious Injuries.
Kids love to play on the playground. Unfortunately, playgrounds are also associated with many injuries to children. In Canada, thousands of children are seen each year in emergency rooms and doctors' offices for treatment of injuries that occurred on a playground. 79% of playground injuries involve falls from the equipment. Thirteen per cent of these patients suffered head injuries (Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program).
To reduce the risk of injury on the playground:
- Supervise all young children closely and carefully. Encourage them to use equipment that is meant for their age and skill level.
- Remove drawstrings and scarves from children's clothing.
- Take off bike helmets before playing on the playground, as helmets can easily become caught in playground equipment.
- Keep skipping ropes away from play equipment.
- Ensure that your children always wear shoes.
- Children under 5 years of age should be kept off equipment higher than 1.5m (5 feet). Parents should always be able to reach the child and be able to prevent them from falling.
- Beware of hazards that can injure your child, such as broken glass, garbage, sharp corners and rusted or protruding bolts.
- Spaces between stairs or railings can cause strangulation. These spaces are considered safe if they are larger than 22.5cm (9 inches) or smaller than 9cm (3.5 inches).
- An impact absorbing material should be placed under the play structure. Grass, dirt, and sand are not impact absorbing. Pea gravel, wood chips, rubber chips, or rubber mats all work well.
- Equipment less than 1.8m (6 feet) should have at least 15cm (6 inches) of cushioning.
- Equipment higher than 1.8m should have at 30cm (12 inches) of cushioning
In 1998, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) published CSA-Z614, Children's Play Spaces and Equipment. This standard was developed to reduce the risk of playground injuries in Canada.
Supervision and thinking ahead are essential to preventing injuries and providing a fun but safe environment for children to enjoy the outdoors. Remember, most injuries are preventable.
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