Play Areas Need Adult Attention, Supervision To Prevent Injuries

HARTFORD — Though sport activities are linked to many injuries and fractures seen in emergency rooms each year, playgrounds and backyard playscapes also have a large role in these injuries, Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr, said during a recent press conference.

“When sports are excluded, eight of the top ten outdoor causes of head injury may be found in your yard or on any playground,” Commissioner Farrell said. “Injuries from ladders, swings, monkey bars, seesaws, and other playground equipment send more than 1,600 Connecticut children to emergency rooms each year.”

Here are some things to watch out for at any playground, even the one in your own back yard:

*Screws should not extend more than two threads beyond the nut to prevent laceration or entanglement.

*Screw covers should be tight to the bolt to prevent catching on clothes or tangling.

*Anchoring devices should be at ground level or buried to prevent tripping.

*Watch for sharp points, corners, or edges that could cut or puncture a child’s skin.

*Spring Rocker Seesaws are designed for only one child at a time. The seat design should help to prevent extra riders.

*Springs should be made in a way to prevent any type of crush or shear points.

*Swings should have no obstructions in front or in back, such as trees, clotheslines, or buildings.

*There should be at least double the height of the top of the swing set in front and back of the swings. For example, an eight-foot-high swing should have 16 feet of free space both in front of the swing and behind the swing. Higher swing sets require more surrounding space.

*If the swing is connected by an S-hook, check to be sure it is completely closed. Open S-hooks can catch a child’s clothing and result in strangulation.

*Swings should be suspended from support structures that discourage climbing.

*The safest slides are not be made of metal because in direct sunlight, they can become hot enough to cause surface burns. Any slide that is made of metal should be faced away from the direct sunlight.

*Children should not wear jewelry, drawstring jackets or sweatshirts, mittens connected by strings through the arms, or any other clothing with drawstrings; entanglement in the equipment could result in strangulation.

*Stairs and ladders should have steps or rungs that are evenly spaced, including the spacing between the top step and the slide platform.

*Any openings between steps or rungs should be designed to prevent entrapment.

*Playground balance beams should be no higher than 12 inches off the ground to prevent injuries.

“Finally, the most important advice we can offer today is that children need to be supervised when they’re using playground equipment at home or at a public park, and that they must be made to understand that adult exercise equipment is not for them,” Commissioner Farrell said.

More playground safety tips from the Department of Consumer Protection:

*All play equipment should be surrounded by a layer of woodchips, mulch, or shredded rubber that is at least nine inches deep, or special playground mats made of safety-tested rubber or rubberlike materials.

*Never attach jump ropes, clotheslines, or pet leashes to play equipment; kids can easily strangle on these.

*Check for spaces that could trap children, such as openings in guardrails or between ladder rungs; these spaces should measure less than 3.5 inches or more than nine inches.

*Make sure platforms and ramps have guardrails to prevent falls.

*Remove tripping hazards, like exposed concrete footings, tree stumps, and rocks.

*Regularly check play equipment and surfacing to make sure both are in good condition.

The Department has posted the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Playground Safety Handbook on its website at www.ct.gov/dcp. The handbook contains voluntary standards for public playground equipment and surfaces.

Department product safety inspectors are available to consult with any day care center, school or town to inspect their playgrounds for safety and to offer guidance, the commission said.

“I encourage parents to review the Public Playground Safety Handbook and use the voluntary safety standards as a reference to check out a playground before allowing children to play there,” he said. “Also, parents should make it a point to routinely inspect their own backyard playscape, and feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at 800-842-2649.”