How To Know Your Child’s Playground Is Not Safe

With the weather warming up and Mother Nature mercilessly releasing us from the grips of cabin fever it’s time to get the kids outside and play. The question is, is the playground you are bringing your kids to safe?

Here’s what to check to make sure that your children are safe both at home and at play.

1.) The surfaces: The National Program for Playground Safety recommends that the surfaces at the playground should be made of loose fill, for example, engineered wood fiber or sand. Hard surfaces like asphalt can be detrimental to your child if he/she were to fall.

2.) The equipment: Equipment should be no more than eight feet off the ground to avoid serious injury if a child were to fall.

3.) Equipment is in disrepair: Chances are that if a swing is falling down or a slide is cracked there are other problem spots on the playground. These are important signs to take note of when determining if the playground is safe or not.

4.) Clothing: Loose clothing is a common cause of strangulation at a playground which is considered to be the #1 cause of playground related fatalities. Make sure your child does not have any dangling drawstrings on his/her coats or sweatshirts. Beware of the top of slides which can be a problem area.

The above items are important things to be aware of when deciding whether or not your child should play at a particular playground, but they are not a substitute for parental supervision. Make sure you accompany your child to the playground and focus your attention on what they are doing to avoid a serious fall.

As the spring months are upon us, make sure you are aware of these issues when taking your kids out to enjoy the fresh air. If he/she happens to slip and fall, contact a Connecticut personal injury lawyer to help you determine the best way forward to protect your long term interests.