Playground Safety

Kids love playgrounds where they can climb, slide, swing, and have fun. But the U.S. consumer Product Safety commission data show that more than 200,000 playground accidents occur annually, with many requiring emergency room treatment for injured children. More frightening is that in 1999 and 2000, nearly 150 child fatalities occurred among children under age 15 at playgrounds — with 70 percent on home playground equipment and the rest at public-use facilities.

The National Program for Playground Safety suggests precautions parents can take to make sure their children are as safe as possible at home and at public playgrounds.

• An adult should supervise all play and assist in emergencies.
• Encourage children to play on equipment designed for their ages.
• Safety-inspect ground surfaces for hardness or hazards such as broken glass or other sharp objects.
• Monitor ladders, steps, platforms, handrails, ropes, barriers, and swings, slides, seasaws, and merry-go-rounds for condition, looking for sharp edges, loose connections, missing parts, and other dangers.
• Report and repair all hazards.

Injured children

Despite all precautions, child injuries may occur — but parents have legal remedies. A three-year-old in a Headstart program suffered head, neck, and brain damage from a fall off a jungle gym. The child's parents received a structured settlement after their attorney demonstrated that the preschool operators were negligent for failing to provide adequate adult supervision of children at play.