Secure Haven: The Safety Playground

Children need to take risks while playing and developing skills, but that shouldn’t be at the expense of their safety. Look for equipment that’s well-anchored and safe to climb on. Inspect for spaces that could trap children’s arms or head, like open hooks or protruding bolt ends. Avoid playgrounds with loose-fill surfacing that is less than 9 inches deep. This material can cause severe injuries from falling.

Safe Surfaces

Each year, over 200,000 children visit US hospital emergency rooms after being injured on playground equipment. Most of these injuries result from falls to the ground, so choosing a safe surface for your playground is essential to keep kids happy and healthy. There are several different safety surfaces to consider, ranging from simple sand to more high-end options like poured-in-place rubber and even safety tile. Each one comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages depending on the design requirements and budget for your project.

For example, poured-in-place rubber functions just as the name suggests by being poured over a sub-base and creates a smooth, cushioned surface that is easy to clean and customizable in color. However, it's also one of the most expensive options for playground surfacing. On the other hand, loose-fill materials like wood chips or sand are less costly but must be kept at a certain depth to maintain proper shock absorbency.

Supervision

Supervision is key to 안전놀이터. Many playground injuries are caused by lack of adult supervision. Parents, guardians and school staff should provide active, direct supervision of kids on playgrounds. This involves observing children playing, interceding when necessary and teaching kids about safe equipment use (e.g. going down a slide feet-first). Kids are naturally curious and will push the limits of what their bodies can do. This is a good thing, but it can lead to injury if not managed properly. Injuries from risk-taking on playgrounds can be prevented with proper supervision and clear rules for safe play.

It is nearly impossible to maintain constant supervision of all the children on a playground at one time. Look for blind spots that might limit visibility and try to arrange the layout of the playground so that it is easier to observe all areas at once. This will also help staff avoid distractions, such as the tumbling of other children on the playground or people walking by the area.

Age-Appropriate Equipment

Children’s gross motor skills aren’t fully developed until age 6 or 7, so it’s important that playground equipment be designed with their limitations in mind. In addition, kids’ sensory systems evolve along with their physical development, so it’s helpful to introduce them to a variety of textures, materials and colors through the use of playground equipment. Providing the proper surfacing under and around playground equipment and steering kids away from equipment that’s too high for them to use can help reduce injuries. But even with properly padded surfaces, accidents can happen.

So close supervision by responsible adults remains the most effective way to prevent playground-related injuries. Whether parents, grandparents, teachers or babysitters, they need to be aware of all the hazards and steer kids to appropriate equipment. They should also check for signs of wear and tear on playground equipment regularly. And if they notice something unsafe, they should report it to the proper authorities.

Maintenance

In addition to the general wear and tear of equipment, playgrounds need regular inspections for potential problems. These inspections should be conducted by a qualified staff member. The type of inspection can vary and is based on equipment age, usage and materials, as well as external factors like weather and vandalism. These informal checks can identify immediate damage caused by weather or misuse and also provide an opportunity to remove litter, rake loose-fill safety surfacing and check for equipment with gaps that are too small or wide to safely pass through. These can be done by playground maintenance staff, teachers, parents or volunteers.

High-frequency inspections are a more in-depth investigation of the condition of equipment and surfacing that is typically performed on a weekly basis. These inspections are a great time to check for entanglement and protrusion hazards, which can be identified with the use of equipment such as projection gauges, head and torso probes, fish probe and carrying bag.

Last Word

Playgrounds provide children with an important opportunity for active, healthy fun. But if the equipment is not age-appropriate or the playground surface and layout are unsafe, injuries can occur. Look for safe surfaces under and around equipment such as wood mulch or chips, sand or shredded rubber. Avoid hard surfaces like asphalt or concrete, which are the most common causes of injury.