RESIDENTIAL — S.A.F.E. TIPS

What to remember when your child plays in the backyard.

SUPERVISION

Your child should always be supervised when playing on playground equipment. Within residential settings, injury reports indicate that approximately 50,000 children are injured and 10 die annually. These fatal events are associated with falls from play equipment, strangulation by clothing or draw strings that become entangled on protrusions, head entrapment from feet-first entry into an opening between 3 ½ inches and 9 inches, and equipment tipping over.

AGE APPROPRIATENESS

Provide your child with a play area that is developmentally appropriate. Playing helps children develop physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually. You can offer a variety of play experiences such as: drama, games, art, and water, as well as activities such as climbing, swing and sliding.

Play equipment should be installed according to the manufacturer's recommendations and should withstand the maximum anticipated forces to be exerted upon it. The risk of serious crushing injury can be reduced by careful attention to anchoring.

FALL SURFACING

We all know that when children play, they will fall. The goal should be to provide a soft cushion for them to fall onto. Asphalt, dirt, concrete, and grass are not acceptable surfaces for underneath play equipment. A one foot fall onto concrete can cause a concussion. Appropriate surfaces include loose fill materials such as sand, pea gravel, wood chips, or rubber chips. Rubber tiles, rubber mats, or poured-in-place rubber are acceptable if they meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommendations.

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

Routine maintenance should include following the manufacturer's guidelines on maintenance. Reminders include:

  • Periodically raking and replacing the loose-fill surfacing material.
  • Checking the equipment for broken equipment, gaps, and entanglements.
  • Periodically sealing, staining, or painting wooden play structures to prevent deterioration. This should be done according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
  • Removing scattered debris, litter, feces, or rocks.
  • Checking for missing or damaged equipment components.