Building a safe home site

Weapons and healthy children enjoying their outdoor fun in the garden are reassuring and comforting for parents to hear - as long as these cries do not become screams of pain or an accident. The backyard is supposed to be a fun place for outdoor play and exercise, not a danger zone. Young children need the physical benefits of training, developing motor skills and fresh air, not to mention a place to work on their unlimited energy.

Unfortunately, families of about 200,000 children each year face injuries associated with 안전놀이터 areas and equipment, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. An estimated 51,000 involve playground equipment, the rest of which occur in public playgrounds. Most of the injuries are the result of falls. Tragically, about 15 children die each year, mostly due to suffocation.

You can keep your children safe

Fortunately, these tragedies are preventable. Combined with careful adult supervision, proper construction and maintenance of playgrounds can minimize the risk of injury to young children.

Practice playground safety at home, at school and in the park

This quick course is written to help alert you to the danger signs in play areas. You can take control at home by taking precautions with your own play area. And you can take another look at other playgrounds for the same dangers. These include lack of proper surface treatment for falls in the cushions, lack of protective frames to prevent falls, dangers of head trapping and other hazards causing injury.

Cushion falls with protective surface

Since almost 60% of all damage is caused by ground drops, protective surface under and around all playground equipment is essential to reduce the risk of serious head injury. And because head injuries from a fall can be life-threatening, the more shock-absorbing a surface can be done, the less likely an injury will be serious.

Of course, all damage due to falls cannot be prevented, regardless of the playground surface material used.

What to avoid

DO NOT use concrete or asphalt. Falling on asphalt and concrete can result in serious head injury and death. Do not place playground equipment over these surfaces.

Avoid grass and dirt. Grass and turf also lose their ability to absorb shocks through wear and environmental conditions. Avoid soil surfaces such as soil and hard packed dirt. Always use protective surface.

What do you need?

Loose filling surface material. These include double shredded bark mulch, shredded tires, wood chips, fine sand or fine gravel. The greater the depth, the greater the shock absorption. Loose fillers should not be installed over hard surfaces such as asphalt or concrete.

Manufactured synthetic surfaces. These include rubber or rubber over foam mats or tiles, poured-on-site urethane and rubber compositions. Initial costs are higher, but less maintenance is required. Be sure to ask the manufacturer for shock absorption test data. Some materials require installation over a hard surface, while others do not.