When kids climb, slide and swing, adult supervision is key. Keep an eye on your children, and remove necklaces, purses and clothing with drawstrings that can get caught in equipment or pose a strangulation hazard. Inspect playgrounds regularly and report any hazards to the proper authorities. Many common injuries that kids experience on playgrounds can be prevented by following these simple safety tips.
Safe Surfaces
No matter how much you supervise kids, occasional falls are just part of being a kid. So playground equipment must provide a safe surface that absorbs the impact of any falls. A solid poured rubber surface is the best option, as it meets all safety standards and requires minimal maintenance. It consists of a base layer of crumb rubber and a wearing coarse of EPDM that is cured together to create a level shock-absorbing surface.
Other surfacing options include loose-fill wood fiber, engineered wood fiber, and playground mulch. Loose-fill surfaces call for constant monitoring and refilling, and require raking to maintain the depth required by critical fall height standards. Another problem with loose-fill surfacing is that children may ingest it or place it in their mouths, which can be hazardous to their health. And if the surfacing is made of materials that were treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) in the past, the dislodged arsenic can harm kids.
Supervision
Supervision is the most important safety element in any playground. It is the best way to prevent injuries and ensure that kids are using equipment correctly. In fact, more than 40 percent of playground injuries can be traced back to lack of adult supervision. Providing consistent supervision is a challenge, and distractions are inevitable. To help mitigate this, it is important to have more than one adult supervise at a time. This way, if a situation arises that requires the attention of the supervisor, the other adults can keep an eye on the children without losing sight of their play.
Additionally, supervisors should be positioned so that they can see the entire 안전놀이터 at once. If there are obstructing elements that make it difficult to observe all parts of the playground, consider moving those areas. In addition to being able to see all equipment, supervisors should be able to hear kids’ voices. This can help ensure that conflicts are resolved before they escalate.
Equipment
Children who suffer an injury on playground equipment may be afraid to go back, especially if they associate it with pain. This can prevent kids from working on physical and cognitive skills that they need. The best playgrounds offer equipment that is built with safety in mind. This includes equipment that is age appropriate and made with durable rounded safe materials, such as plastic. It also offers challenges that allow kids to push themselves physically and mentally. Examples include playground nets, boulder-climbing courses and a playground zip line.
Surfaces under and around the equipment should be soft, which will help prevent injuries caused by falls. Acceptable surfaces include shredded rubber, recycled tire mulch and wood chips, as well as pea gravel, sand or synthetic surface materials such as rubber tiles and mats. Avoid using pressure treated wood, which contains harmful chromated copper arsenate (CCA). Make sure that spaces that could trap children, such as openings in guardrails or gaps between ladder rungs are not more than 9 inches wide.
Clothing
When kids go to the playground, it’s important that they wear appropriate clothing. Necklaces, scarves, drawstrings and other clothing items can get caught on equipment and cause choking. Children should also avoid wearing long pants and hoods that could restrict movement. If they must, they should wear pants with a little stretch and sleeves that won’t catch on equipment. If they have long hair, it should be tied back so it doesn’t get caught on swing chains or become entangled in equipment.
It’s also important that kids learn proper play behavior on playground equipment. This includes not pushing or roughhousing, taking turns and not climbing outside the guardrails of jungle gyms or other equipment.
Conclusion
They should also be taught not to jump or run near other people while using equipment and to avoid kicking, hitting or otherwise contacting others while on or near the equipment. This can prevent injuries from accidental impacts and encourage everyone to enjoy the play area.
