https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Public Safety


Safety guidelines help to reduce accidents

Safety guidelines help to reduce accidents

In the time it takes to read this, a child will be severely injured and admitted to an emergency room as the result of a playground-related accident.
  • Written by American City & County Administrator
  • 1st July 1995

In the time it takes to read this, a child will be severely injured and admitted to an emergency room as the result of a playground-related accident. It is estimated that more than 170,000 such injuries occur each year.

According to the National Recreation and Park Association, Arlington, Va., local recreation and park resources are used by 75 percent of the U.S. population (more than 192 million people); 71 percent of Americans live within walking distance of a park or playground. The NRPA and the National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI) — a continuing education arm of NRPA — have developed safety guidelines recognized as industry standards and identified 12 of the leading causes of injury on playgrounds. They are:

* Improper Protective Surfacing. More than 70 percent of all accidents on playgrounds result from children falling. Hard surfaces, such as concrete, blacktop, packed earth or grass are not acceptable under play equipment. The surface or ground under and around the playground equipment should be soft enough to cushion a fall. Acceptable surfacing materials include hardwood fiber/mulch, sand and pea gravel.

* Inadequate Fall Zone. A fall zone should be covered with protective surfacing material and extend a minimum of six feet in all directions from the edge of stationary play equipment. Swings require a much greater fall zone, one that extends two times the height of the pivot or swing hanger in front of and behind the swings seats, as well as six feet to the side of the support structure.

* Protrusion and Entanglement Hazards. A protrusion hazard is a component or piece of hardware that might be capable of impaling or cutting a child should the child fall against the hazard. Some protrusions may catch strings or items of clothing the child might be wearing. Special attention should be paid to the tops of slides and sliding devices. Ropes should be anchored securely at both ends and incapable of forming a loop or a noose.

* Entrapment Openings. Enclosed openings on playground equipment must be checked for head entrapment hazards. Children often enter openings feet first and attempt to slide through the opening. If the opening is not large enough, it may allow the body to pass through the opening and entrap the head. There should be no openings on playground equipment that measure between three-and-one-half inches and nine inches.

* Insufficient Equipment Spacing. Improper spacing between pieces can cause overcrowding of a play area. Fall zones for equipment should not overlap to prevent the possibility of a child falling off one structure and striking another. There should be at least 12 feet between two structures, and swings and other pieces of moving equipment should be located away from other structures.

* Trip Hazards. Exposed concrete footings, abrupt changes in surface elevations, tree roots, tree stumps and rocks are common trip hazards that should be removed in play areas.

* Lack of Supervision. A play area should be designed so it is easy for a parent or caregiver to observe children at play. Young children are constantly challenging their own abilities and are often unable to recognize potential hazards. It is estimated that more than 40 percent of all playground injuries are directly related to lack of supervision in some way.

* Age-In-appropriate Activities. It is important to make sure the equipment in the playground setting is appropriate for the age of the intended user. Areas for preschool-age children should be separate from areas intended for school-age children.

* Lack of Maintenance. There should be no missing, broken or worn out components on playground equipment. All hardware should be secure.

* Pinch, Crush, Shearing and Sharp Edge Hazards. Playground equipment should not contain sharp edges or points that could cut skin. Moving components such as suspension bridges, track rides, merry-go-rounds, seesaws and some swings should be checked to make sure there are no moving parts or mechanisms that might crush or pinch a child's finger.

* Platforms with No Guardrails. Elevated surfaces, such as platforms, ramps and bridgeways should have guardrails to prevent falls. Pre-school-age children are more at risk from falls, and equipment intended for this age group should have guardrails on elevated surfaces higher than 20 inches. Equipment intended for school-age children should have guardrails on elevated surfaces higher than 30 inches.

* Equipment Not Recommended for Public Playgrounds. Accidents associated with certain types of equipment have resulted in the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommending they not be used on public playgrounds. Swinging exercise rings and trapeze bars are considered athletic as opposed to playground equipment. Overhead hanging rings that have a short amount of chain and are intended for use as a ring trek — generally four to eight rings — are okay for public playground equipment.

Tags: Public Safety

Most Recent


  • FirstNet Authority CTO highlights coverage-extension efforts as initial Band 14 buildout nears completion
    With AT&T almost done deploying the initial contracted FirstNet 700 MHz Band 14 infrastructure, the FirstNet Authority increasingly is focusing on solutions that will let public-safety users access the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) when outside of terrestrial system, according to FirstNet officials. FirstNet Authority CTO Jeff Bratcher said that NPSBN contractor AT&T repeatedly has […]
  • Bipartisan group of local leaders, NLC send letter to Congress calling for gun safety legislation
    In the aftermath of several horrific mass shootings, legislators in Washington, D.C. are locked in a familiar debate over gun safety legislation. On Wednesday, survivors and victims of gun violence testified about their experiences to Congress, calling on lawmakers to take action. “I don’t want it to happen again,” said Miah Cerrillo, a fourth-grader at […]
  • Mayors call for peace, gun control legislation at annual conference
    The U.S. Conference of Mayors kicked off its 90th annual meeting Friday in Reno, Nev., with a call to action on gun control—a topic the advocacy organization has taken a strong stance on following recent mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y.; Uvalde, Texas; and Tulsa, Okla. “It’s more important than ever that we recommit ourselves to […]
  • Texas community to form holistic mental health crisis response teams
    For decades, the responsibility of helping those experiencing a mental health crisis has fallen to police departments, and communities across the United States have grappled with the safety and effectiveness of this distribution of duties— wondering if there’s a better way to get constituents the help they need. When it comes to fielding mental health […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • How governments can keep employees safe as they return to work
  • Preventing cyber-attacks needs to be a priority for local governments
  • Building community and officer wellness through data sharing
  • California city combines advanced technology with dedicated public safety team for comprehensive emergency management

White papers


How to Assemble a Rockstar Website Redesign Steering Committee

7th June 2022

Hand Hygiene: Compliance Matters

23rd May 2022

What it Takes to Build a Winning Esports Program

23rd May 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Seamless Cooperative Experience Saves Indiana City Exponentially in Time and Money dlvr.it/SSxp95

27th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

10 best large cities for fishing dlvr.it/SSxbSZ

27th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Generational differences present an opportunity to reinvent public sector service delivery dlvr.it/SSxbN7

27th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Report: Local and state governments are facing a retention crisis; the worst could be yet to come dlvr.it/SSnmS7

24th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amid an unprecedented increase in federal spending, cities and counties stand to benefit from partnerships dlvr.it/SSkGBn

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Governments using technology to harness data and improve decision-making dlvr.it/SSk3H0

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Infrastructure highlighted by city leaders as top priority in analysis of 60 mayoral addresses dlvr.it/SSgBck

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Oklahoma City puts the focus on employees when implementing changes in office technology dlvr.it/SSfyns

22nd June 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X