http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/playpubs.html
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Little Big Kids (PDF) |
For parents to read with their kids (ages 3-5) on the topic of playground safety. |
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Public Playground Safety Checklist (HTML) |
Use this checklist to inspect local school and community playgrounds and notify school or park officials about any hazards found. |
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Home Playground Safety Tips (PDF) (PDF-SPANISH) |
Reports that each year an estimated 51,000 children are treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for home playground-related injuries — mostly resulting from falls. Provides tips on protective surfacing, fall zones, reducing hazards, and maintenance. |
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Soft Contained Play Equipment Safety Checklist
CPSC Document #328
The Consumer Product Safety Commission staff developed the following checks to help parents and children use Soft Contained Play Equipment safely.
Equipment Check:
Check the safety netting for tears or frays.
* Torn netting could allow a child to climb onto the outer portions of the equipment and fall onto a hard surface.
Check cargo webbing and rope equipment for tears or frays.
* Torn rope equipment or loose sewing connections in the cargo webbing may be an entrapment or tripping hazard.
Check floor surfacing for tears.
* Floor surfacing should not be torn, in order to prevent trips or ankle sprains.
* If mats are used outside of the Soft Contained Play Equipment , they should be placed tightly together and should not be torn, in order to prevent trips or ankle sprains.
Check the equipment for general cleanliness.
* Dirty equipment is an indication that the owner/operator may not have kept up with the routine maintenance and repair.
* Walkways should be clear of trash and clutter to prevent tripping.
Safe Use Check:
Obey the posted safety guidelines of the Soft Contained Play Equipment.
* Guidelines should explain proper equipment use.
Follow use and size recommendations.
* Smaller children are at a disadvantage in a collision with a larger child.
* If your child meets the size restriction for the toddler section. do not bring him/her into the older children’s section.
* Keep older, larger children from playing in the toddler section.
Remove clothing strings, necklaces, earrings and all loose items in pockets before the child enters the Soft Contained Play Equipment.
* Loose hanging strings and jewelry can get caught in play equipment.
* Items inside pockets can fall into the ball pools.
Do not allow children to play or linger in front of slide exits or to climb up slides.
* A child playing in front of a slide exit or climbing up a slide could be struck, by a child coming down the slide.
* Children like to bury themselves under the balls in a ball pool. If a slide exits into the ball pool, a child playing in the balls in front of the exit may be struck.
Do not allow children to play or linger at the base of climbing equipment in a ball pool.
* Children jump off equipment such as the mountain climb into the ball pool. A child playing at the base of the equipment could be struck.
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. 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 decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
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