Childrens Swing Set Safety

Childrens Swing Set Safety - The sad fact is that upwards of 200,000 children are injured on playgrounds and their swing sets yearly in the United States alone. I shutter to think what the numbers of injured children due to play ground and swing set injuries are throughout the world. There have been a few measures that address the safety issues on playgrounds, and swing set manufacturers have made significant steps toward designing a safer product but none have been nationally coordinated until the NPPS (National Program for Playground Safety) was created in October 1995. This initiative is the first step toward helping prevent many senseless injuries to children throughout the United States and assists communities across the country to take a more serious look at safety on their local playgrounds and their swing sets.

The main aim of the NPPS is to draft a uniform set of standards for all playgrounds and swing sets, and expects that all parents, teachers, recreation and park personnel, caretakers of children, and other concerned adults take an active role in protecting children from these often preventable injuries. They base their plan on four primary goals that will lay out the foundation for playground and swing set safety:

• Mandate proper supervision by mature and responsible adults available for children at all times on playgrounds and swing sets.
• Design age-appropriate playgrounds and swing sets with standard criteria, annotations and warnings.
• Lay proper shock-absorbent surfacing under and around playgrounds and their swing sets as per standard designations.
• Properly maintain playgrounds and their swing sets at regular intervals and following standardized checklists.

To be successful and to make sure that our country’s playgrounds and swing sets are safe, safety coordination has to be a partnership on three crucial levels:

At the national level the NPPS outlines proposed actions to be taken by professional national organizations such as the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD); Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI); National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC); National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA); National Safety Council (NSC); and Safe Kids Worldwide (SKW).

At the state level the NPPS appeals to professional organizations to provide detailed information and comprehensive education about playground and swing set safety. These state organizations would include those working with preschool children, schools, parks and recreation departments, teacher education, medical professionals and other concerned individuals. State governmental departments in education, natural resources and parks, health, and human services are expected to become involved in playground and swing set safety as well.

At the local level the NPPS petitions all the community agencies and regional organizations such as schools, park and recreation departments, child care centers, PTAs as well as groups such as Kiwanis, Lion’s Clubs and other nonprofit organizations.

Please note that research shows that an overwhelmingly large majority of playground and swing set injuries are one-hundred percent preventable. Research further shows that of those few injuries that are not preventable, with proper precautions and adult supervision their severity can be significantly reduced. The following is a quick checklist for parents of children who play on playgrounds and swing sets:

• Equip children with bicycle helmets when playing on or around swing sets.
• Check for hot surfaces before children are allowed to use swing sets.
• Avoid loose clothing or any strings that may catch on the swing sets.

All ropes must be secured at both ends with none loose or dangling to prevent strangulation.
With the concerted efforts of all, the number of playground and swing set injuries can be reduced tremendously. Please help provide a safe play environment for all our nation’s children.