The Playground: Danger in Plain Sight

Of all the sights that excite our children and young ones, the playground may be at the very top. Just think of it—all those curvy slides, monkey bars, high-speed swings—it’s enough to get you tearing off your shoes and hollering for recess again. Amid all that fun, however, the specter of danger and injury hovers, like a shadow.

According to an analysis published by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), danger is indeed lurking on our local playgrounds. Between 2009 and 2014, the CPSC received reports of 3,014 incidents that directly resulted from playground equipment. In cases where a victim’s age was reported, 47% of these victims were children under the age of five. While the majority of these incidents occurred at home, or in restaurants, emergency rooms reported that 60% of the injuries they treated stemmed from recreational zones or schools. It appears as though incidents are less likely to be reported when they occur in a public place like a park or playground.

Tragically, the CPSC investigated an 34 deaths associated with playground equipment in which the ages of victims were as young as 13 months old. Among these fatal incidents, 19 deaths resulted from hanging or another form of asphyxiation. After asphyxiation, head and neck injuries proved to be just as tragic.

The above statistical information was obtained from the CPSC report entitled Injuries and Investigated Deaths Associated with Playground Equipment 2009 – 2014 and which is available on the CPSC website.

Parents and guardians can take steps to prevent such tragedies by following some of the CPSC golden playground safety rules, which include supervising your children at play; making sure that children are using age appropriate equipment; checking their clothing for loose strings; and never letting children tie ropes to playground equipment.   A full list of the CPSC safety rules can found on the CPSC website at https://onsafety.cpsc.gov/blog/2017/04/27/swing-slide-have-fun-play-safe-playgrounds-shouldnt-hurt/).  If you encounter unsafe conditions in playground or anywhere else children play on playground equipment, you should promptly inform the owner, business or school about your safety concerns.

The accident lawyers in PA at Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., are concerned for the safety of children, young adults and families in Reading, Berks County, Pottsville, Schuylkill County, and throughout Eastern and Central Pennsylvania.  The injury lawyers near Philadelphia handle injury claims, including claims for serious injury and death caused by the negligence of others and by unsafe and dangerous products.  The law firm also handles cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, and motor cycle accidents, as well as medical malpractice and workers’ comp cases.

From the desk of Adam K. Levin, Esquire.

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