Protecting Kids from Playground Injuries
Statistics show that more than 213,000 children under the age of 18 end up in emergency rooms for injuries they receive while at playgrounds. The majority of those children injured are between the ages of 2 to 9 years old; however, the ages of children who receive the most injuries are between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. Other statistics regarding playground injuries include:
- The majorities of injuries, 90 percent, are caused by a fall from playground equipment, especially if a child lands on a hard surface.
- The most common injuries received are fractures (35 percent), bruises (20 percent), cuts (20 percent), and sprains and strains (11 percent). Other injuries a child can receive are concussions, internal injuries, amputations and even death.
- The most common body parts that are injured are the upper extremities (45 percent), which include arms, shoulders, wrists, hands and fingers.
- Children are most frequently injured on climbing equipment (36 percent), swings (30 percent) and slides (20 percent).
- The majority of playground injuries occur at parks or at schools.
There are tips parents can follow to help ensure their child’s safety at playgrounds. You should never let your children play on equipment that is installed on blacktop, concrete or grass. All equipment should be surrounded by rubber surfacing, wood chips or sand to help absorb the impact of a fall. Parents should also make sure that any equipment on a platform should have guardrails. All equipment should also be checked to make sure there are no spaces where a child could get there head stuck. The recommendation is all spaces should be smaller than 3.5 inches or larger than 9 inches in length and width. Also check equipment for any cracks, rusts, loose or missing parts, or any areas that may be rotting away. When children are under the care of school, child-care centers or camps, parents rely on those in charge of those organizations to make sure all playground equipment is safe for children. But statistics from Safe Kids reveal that almost half of playground accidents that occur at schools are associated with lack of supervision. If your child has been injured in a playground accident due to someone else’s negligence, contact an experienced New Braunfels personal injury attorney to find out what legal action you may be able to take.
