Better Playground Safety

Better playground safety – You love it when your child says that they want to play outside. With so many digital distractions, knowing that your child wants to connect with other children and nature is a relief. However, you are unhappy with park and playground maintenance in your area. Consequently, you write to the city asking for improvements for better playground safety. The city responds that more maintenance will take place to make it safer.

The city installs a fence near the swing set. You felt oddly about it, because it seemed too close for comfort. No less than a few weeks later, your child is badly hurt on the fence after trying to jump off the swing. Who’s to blame for playground injuries? This seems the opposite of better playground safety.

Be Aware Of Hazardous Park Layouts

In cases like this, there’s no reason to believe that someone wouldn’t have considered the fact that children often jump off swings to see how far they can go. It’s a common behavior on playgrounds. Even though it’s frowned on, adults see it daily. By putting a fence too close to the swing set, the city may have been negligent in its actions. It may have inadvertently put your child in harm’s way. In that case, you could have a right to pursue a personal injury claim against those who maintain the park.

Inspect Areas and Equipment For Better Playground Safety

An average of 17 children die every year on playgrounds, the majority of those deaths are preventable. As many as 1.9 million children each year suffer a recreational or sports-related concussion in the U.S. Learn concussion signs and steps to keep kids safer on the playing field. With the right playground layouts and safety precautions, many children can avoid painful injuries that impact their lives.

Read the signs for playground rules and regulations. Monitor children and be sure they play in age appropriate areas. Check under and around park equipment for soft material such as sand, mulch, wood chips, or safety-tested rubber. Ensure all equipment is sturdy and well maintained, without loose hardware or unstable pieces. These actions create better playground safety fro all children.

How You Can Help

By familiarizing yourself with the NRPA Playground Safety Guidebook you can learn to help identify safety hazards and help keep our children safer.

Johnson Law has been helping Alaskans for nearly 30 years. It’s who we are.

And while we hope you never need us… We’re here if you do. ~ Doug Johnson

Sources: National Recreation and Park Association; National Safety Council

Image Source: Playworld