Springtime is the Right Time to Swing Into Playground Safety

WASHINGTON, April 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Compare the playgrounds of 25 years ago to today's modern playsets and the differences are striking -- metal has been overtaken by colorful plastics and wood, homemade rope swings have been replaced by rope ladders anchored for safety, and single-level structures have been dwarfed by multi-tier castles. Yet with all the advances in playground designs, there are still far too many playground related injuries involving children -- about 200,000 each year. In recognizing National Playground Safety Week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is encouraging parents to make sure backyard, childcare center and community playgrounds are safe and that children are always supervised while at play.

To assist in building and maintaining a safe playground, designers, inspectors and homeowners have been consulting CPSC's Handbook for Public Playground Safety for more than 25 years. The handbook provides specifications for creating safe play zones; what materials to use; and how to properly install climbing equipment, slides and swings. CPSC staff is undertaking a major update of this publication to reflect current safety standards and best practices. The new, updated Handbook is targeted for re- release later this year.

To help prevent injuries from falls and other hazards on public and home playgrounds, the following safety tips are recommended:

  -- Never attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines, or pet leashes to the
     equipment. This can present a serious strangulation hazard to children.
  -- Make sure children remove their bike or other sports helmets before
     playing on the playground.  Helmets can become entrapped in playground
     equipment, posing a strangulation hazard.
  -- Purchase play equipment that meets the latest safety standards.
  -- Smooth sharp points or edges, and close open "S" hooks and cover
     protruding bolts.
  -- Check for openings in guardrails or between ladder rungs. Spaces should
     be either less than 3 1/2 inches or more than 9 inches so that they
     don't present an entrapment hazard.
  -- Always supervise young children to make sure they are safe.
  -- Install and maintain at least 9 inches of wood chips, mulch, or
     shredded rubber (for equipment up to 8 feet high) or sand or pea gravel
     (for equipment no more than 5 feet high) as shock absorbing material
     under the playground. (Dirt and grass, which are the most prevalent
     surfaces under home playground equipment, do not adequately protect
     children from serious head injuries.)
  -- Install protective surfacing at least six feet in all directions from
     play equipment. For swings, the surface should extend, in back and
     front, twice the height of the suspending bar.

In addition to the Public Playground Handbook, CPSC also has an Outdoor Home Playground Handbook, a Home Playground Safety Checklist (pdf) (available in Spanish - pdf), and a Neighborhood Safety Network poster on playground safety.

For more information about National Playground Safety Week, visit the Web site for the National Program for Playground Safety at http://www.playgroundsafety.org/safetyweek/index.htm.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products -- such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals -- contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 or visit CPSC's Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/.

CPSC Media Contact: Scott Wolfson

(301) 504-7051