Playground safety inspections and audits can be an important part of maintaining a safe playground. They can also help prevent litigation related to playground accidents.
The most common type of playground injury is a fall. Children who fall from a swing or climber can sustain serious head injuries that result in permanent brain damage or death. Fortunately, this type of accident can be prevented by keeping the playground's safety surfaces and equipment up to snuff between annual inspections by certified playground safety inspectors.
A study conducted in Montreal found that g-max, surface material and equipment height were all associated with the occurrence and severity of injuries from falls to the head. The study was based on data collected in 1991 and 1995 during conformity assessments of public playgrounds in Montreal and on injuries reported to the emergency departments of the two children's hospitals in the city.
Results showed that g-max levels, surfacing material, and equipment height were significantly associated with occurrence and severity of injuries from falls to children aged 1-14. These were also the factors most often cited by the parents of these injured children as being important in determining the occurrence and severity of playground injuries.
Other risk factors or 먹튀검증소 confounders that were considered in the analysis included age, sex, mother's education, mother tongue, number of medical consultations for injuries in the past year, family size, playground use, type of equipment, supervision, and year of data collection.
Injuries from playground falls were recorded for each child who visited the emergency departments of the two children's hospital in Montreal during the summers of 1991 and 1995. These forms were then reviewed and a standardized CHIRPP (Canadian Hospital Injury Report Prevention Program) form was used to collect detailed information from parents on each incident.
The most common types of playground equipment that were found to be a significant predictor of the occurrence and severity of fall injuries to children aged 1-14 were: slide rails, balance beams, climbers, teeter-totters, swings and swing sets. Other equipment was not associated with an increase in the occurrence or severity of injuries.
Ensure that all fall zones are protected with ASTM-compliant playground fencing, including gate latches and non-climbable fences. Fencing is also essential to protect children from tripping hazards, such as low-hanging branches or animal feces.
Make sure that the playground's rules are clearly defined and adhered to by adults on site. These rules can prevent a prankster or a mischievous child from harming other children or damaging the playground equipment. They can also help reduce the liability for an agency, if a playground hazard is not corrected in time or if the hazard causes the child to suffer injuries.
Training employees to perform high-frequency playground safety inspections can reduce the likelihood of playground injuries in your facility. Maintenance staff who are trained to spot a worn S-hook on a playground swing, discard a broken glass bottle, or replenish mulch materials can save your organization a lot of money and headaches by preventing accidents from occurring.
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