Home Playground Equipment Safety Tips
When looking at playground equipment for your home, you need to realize that most of what you see at your local department store is built for smaller children between the ages of 2 and 10. Make sure you review with them all of the safety rules to make sure they are aware of the potential for injury, and always supervise them when they are climbing or swinging. Children should not be allowed to walk around the general playground area until they can follow all of your equipment safety rules including avoiding the swing area when someone is swinging and not standing in front of the slide when someone is on their way down.
It has been documented that more than two thirds of all playground injuries occur on the swing sets. This makes sense as children are often drawn to swings, allowing themselves to swing high and fast. The bottom line as parents is that you need to make your home playground equipment safe for all the little ones who use it. And if you look around enough you can find an affordable and durable set as well.
To have a safe playground set in your home you should follow the four basic principles laid out by the National Program for Playground Safety: Supervision, Age Appropriate Equipment, Proper Fall Surfacing, and Correct Equipment Maintenance. Location is also a big factor in keeping everyone safe. Make sure the area is level and anchored securely to the ground. Check that the various hardware used during installation is very tight and that nothing sharp is protruding from any of the stations. Whatever company you purchase the playground from should make sure their product conforms to all applicable safety standards, and also provide you with easy to follow installation instructions.
The Playground Surface Plays A Big Role In Safety
The surface you install underneath your playground should be very smooth and level, with nothing pushing up through like tree roots or big rocks. Never use a hard surface like dirt, cement, or asphalt. There is special foam or outdoor padding that can be used to help with falls from higher places. Make sure you install the surface at a minimum of 6 feet out in all directions from the playset, but it is advised to go further around the slide or swings. You can also use what is called safety foam on any hard edges or poles to further pad them from an unsuspecting running child, who happens to not be looking forward. One other thing to consider, especially if you are in a very hot and sunny climate is to check the metal surfaces for excessive heat as they can burn your child very easily. Installing plastic playground equipment instead of metal will help with this.
In the United States alone, there are an estimated 51,000 home playground injuries (15 fatal) to children each year. It is very important for parents to follow all the recommended safety guidelines laid out by the manufacturer, as well as those recommended by such organizations as the National Program for Playground Safety (see link above). By doing this and using some common sense you can make sure your children are safe when they are hard at play in your backyard.