04-22-2008, 06:16 AM
Filed under: Health and Safety, Outings, Outdoor PlayThe grass is greening, the trees are budding and red and yellow tulips are popping up everywhere. It must be Spring! Along with Mother Nature's show, one of the most reliable indicators that Spring has actually sprung is the sounds of children out and about in the neighborhood again. And just in time for the warmer weather, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued their updated Public Playground Safety Handbook (pdf).According to the CPSC, public playgrounds see more than 156,000 injuries each year requiring emergency room treatment. April 21-25 is National Playground Safety Week and the CPSC wants to remind parents, teachers, childcare personnel, school officials, playground designers and inspectors what to look for when evaluating the safety of playground equipment. The handbook is quite technical and geared more towards those who build playgrounds than those who play on them. But for parents, the CPSC offers these tips to keep in mind to avoid injuries when hitting the playground:
Always supervise children on play equipment to make sure they are safe.
Purchase playground equipment that meets the latest safety standards.
Maintain at least 9 inches of protective surfacing, including shredded/recycled rubber, wood chips, wood mulch (non-CCA treated), sand or pea gravel under and around playground equipment to cushion children from falls.
Check that protective surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. For swings, extend protective surfacing in front and back of the swing, twice the height of the suspending bar.
Repair sharp points or edges on equipment. Replace missing hardware and close "S" hooks that can cause injuries.
Never attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines, pet leashes or cords of any kind to play equipment due to the strangulation hazard.
If this is the year you finally install your very own backyard playground, here is some inspiration.%Gallery-21095%Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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Comments: http://www.parentdish.com/2008/04/21/nat.../#comments
Always supervise children on play equipment to make sure they are safe.
Purchase playground equipment that meets the latest safety standards.
Maintain at least 9 inches of protective surfacing, including shredded/recycled rubber, wood chips, wood mulch (non-CCA treated), sand or pea gravel under and around playground equipment to cushion children from falls.
Check that protective surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. For swings, extend protective surfacing in front and back of the swing, twice the height of the suspending bar.
Repair sharp points or edges on equipment. Replace missing hardware and close "S" hooks that can cause injuries.
Never attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines, pet leashes or cords of any kind to play equipment due to the strangulation hazard.
If this is the year you finally install your very own backyard playground, here is some inspiration.%Gallery-21095%Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted at http://feeds.bloggingbaby.com/~r/weblogs...274924314/
Comments: http://www.parentdish.com/2008/04/21/nat.../#comments