Thousands of children end up in emergency rooms each year thanks to poorly set up and maintained playground equipment. Here’s how to keep your home playset safe for your kids.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
It’s one thing when a game of backyard football causes a few bumps and bruises. But it’s entirely different if an accident occurs because the backyard playset isn’t up to par safety-wise.
Over 200 thousand kids a year end up in the emergency room due to injuries sustained on playground equipment. And a lot of those injuries could have been prevented if the parents had thought through things better from the start.
When you get the equipment home, set it up in a flat space with no tripping hazards. A tree stump near a swing set is generally a bad idea.
Make sure your play area has plenty of ground cover. Mulch, wood chips, shredded rubber or pea gravel are shock-absorbent, which makes falling down a little less dangerous.
When you’re applying the ground cover, make sure it extends 6 feet behind the equipment itself.
Keep the equipment in good shape with regular maintenance. Sand down any rough or splintered edges, replace rusty hooks and chains. Ensure that bolts stay tight and cap anything that is sticking out.
Plastic coated chains are a great idea for keeping little fingers from getting pinched.
And also when you start to dangle things from a playset, be careful what you dangle things with. An S hook is great in some applications but not in this application because rambunctious kids can actually jostle this out of position, and then you’ve got a problem on your hands if someone falls.
There’s also better ways to do it. This device screws into place and locks. You just turn it till it meets up and you’re good to do.
This is one that I like; it’s called a carabiner. It’s the easiest to work with. It’s spring loaded and once you latch it on it’s not letting go till you life it back and unhook it.
And one last thing: The best safety tool is also the least expensive and most accessible. It’s right here: Your eyes. Supervision is the best way to prevent injuries, so keep an eye on your kids and have fun!