Safety Tips For Home Playground Equipment
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Carefully supervise young children using playground equipment. Keep children from shoving, pushing, or fighting.
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The surface under playground equipment should be energy absorbent. Use safety-tested mats or loose fill materials (shredded rubber, sand, wood chips, or bark) maintained to a depth of at least 9 inches.
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Install the protective surface at least 6 feet (more for swings and slides) in all directions from the equipment.
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Swing seats should be made of something soft, not wood or metal.
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Children should not twist swings, swing empty seats, or walk in front of moving swings.
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Put home playground equipment together correctly. It should sit on a level surface and be anchored firmly to the ground.
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Cap all screws and bolts. Check periodically for loose nuts and bolts and broken, rusty, or sharp parts.
Install playground equipment at least 6 feet from fences or walls.
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Check for hot metal surfaces on equipment such as those on slides, which could cause burns.
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Never attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines, or pet leashes to playground equipment because children can strangle on them.
- Last Updated
- 3/5/2010
- Source
- TIPP—The Injury Prevention Program (Copyright © 1994 American Academy of Pediatrics)
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