Playgrounds
Play is an essential component of healthy development in children, and playgrounds provide an opportunity for children to develop motor, cognitive, perceptual and social skills. Unfortunately, playgrounds are often the sites of unintentional injuries. The leading cause of playground equipment-related fatalities is strangulation, and the majority of these deaths occur on home playgrounds. Nonfatal playground equipment-related injuries, on the other hand, are most often due to falls. The majority of these nonfatal injuries take place on public playgrounds, including school, childcare and park playgrounds. In a 2000 survey, U.S. playgrounds received an overall grade of C when rated on the presence of physical hazards and behavioral elements, including supervision and age-appropriate design.Adults are responsible for creating play environments that are challenging for children but also reasonably safe. Utilizing age-appropriate equipment, following a regular maintenance schedule, limiting equipment height and maintaining adequate surfacing, combined with adult supervision, can greatly reduce the incidence and severity of playground injuries.
Reference:
Safekids
www.usa.safekids.org