Pediatric Law Firm

Playground Safety in Parks and at Home

Oregon playgrounds are substandard. 

• 95% of the 21 playgrounds surveyed lacked adequate protective surfacing to cushion falls.   Surfacing and fall zones are the most critical component to safety.
  
  
• 70% had chipping or pealing paint, often lead-based paint.
  
  
• 62% had at least one piece of hazardous equipment, such as climbing rings, heavy animal swings, or track rings.
  
  
• 33% had inadequate fall zones around slides and other equipment.
  
  
• Too tall slides and climbers were found in 48% and 36% of the playgrounds. Higher than 6 feet is too high for playground equipment.  Shorter equipment has as much play value with a lower risk of injury.
  
  
• 38% of the playgrounds had small gaps, open S-hooks and other protrusions, which pose clothing entanglement hazards.  There have been reports of strangulations.  Make sure you cut off any drawstrings on hooded clothing. 
  
  
• 27% of playgrounds had swings that were either too close together or too close to swing supports, which increases the risk that a swing could hit another child or the support. Swings should be at least 8 inches from other swings and supports. 

For public or backyard playgrounds, here’s how to protect against the most common problem, injuries from falls.

Stationary climbing equipment and slides should have a fall zone extending a minimum of 6 feet in all directions.    For swings, the fall zone in front and back of the swing should extend out at least twice the height of the swing. 

To minimize the risk of a life-threatening head injury, the necessary depth of the soft material depends on the height of the equipment, outlined in the chart below.  

Fall height in feet from which a life-threatening head injury would not be expected.