Safety First! Avoid Plaground Hazards!

Playground Safety Tips - Summer Safety!

Keep your child safe this Summer with these Playground Safety tips!        Each year, about 200,000 children are treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for playground equipment-related injuries. An estimated 148,000 of these injuries involve public playground equipment and an estimated 51,000 involve home playground equipment. Most of the injuries are the result of falls.   Since almost 60% of all injuries are caused by falls to the ground, protective surfacing under and around all playground equipment can reduce the risk of serious head injury. No Fault Safety Surface can help prevent critical head injuries to your child. Avoid playgrounds with non-impact absorbing surfaces, such as asphalt, concrete, grass, dirt or gravel, as they lose their ability to absorb shock through wear and environmental conditions. Always use protective surfacing on your playground! Certain loose-fill surfacing materials are acceptable, such as rubber mulch.   Summer brings long, hot days, which are perfect for water play, travel or a trip to the playground. It is important to remember that excessive heat can be a hazard! Heat-related illness can occur when your body can't properly cool itself. To avoid wilting in the heat, go to the playground before 10:00 a.m. or after 3:00 p.m., rest often in shady spots, wear UVA/UVB sunscreen and most importantly stay hydrated!   Before you visit a playground, check to make sure that play areas are designed to allow an adult to see children clearly while they're playing on all the equipment. Adult supervision can help prevent injuries by making sure kids properly use playground equipment and don't engage in unsafe behavior around it. Always supervise, and teach your child safe play! For more information regarding playground safety and injury prevention, you can visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website at www.cpsc.gov.