Summer will technically be here tomorrow (June 20), and with the current record high temperatures, we thought it would be a great to remind parents and providers about some basic playground safety tips.
The City of Redwood City designs playgrounds that meet and often exceed all top safety standards to ensure safe play for all, but negligence and inappropriate behavior can put your child’s health at risk. A study issued by the CPSC evaluated playground injury cases and found that from 2009 to 2014, nearly 1.5 million injuries associated with playground equipment were treated nationally in emergency rooms, translating to about 243,000 ER-treated injuries per year. More than half of these injuries occurred in children between the ages of 5 and 9 years of age.
Here are some safety tips to keep in mind while visiting our parks that can help your child play safely, not only on hot days, but all year-round!
- Always supervise kids and make sure kids use playground equipment appropriate for their age.
- Always be aware of the sun and weather conditions, and do not assume that the equipment is safe because it is made of plastic, especially slides. We do not have to be in a heat wave in order for equipment to heat up and cause burns. If it feels hot to your hand, it may be too hot for a child’s bare skin!
- Remember that not only playground equipment, but playground surfacing, may also cause burns. We recommend wearing proper footwear.
- Never attach ropes, jump ropes, pet leashes or strings to playground equipment; children can strangle on these.
- Make sure children’s clothing does not have any drawstrings as they can catch on slides and other equipment.
- Please remove bike helmets when on playground equipment. A helmet may get stuck on a piece of equipment (and even in a tree) and strangle a child.
- Teach children that pushing, shoving or crowding while on the playground can be dangerous.
- If you see that equipment is broken in one of our parks, please report it immediately by calling (650) 780-7250 or providing notification at MyRWC.
Additional resources about playground safety
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons – Playground Safety Checklist
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Kids Health
- National Program for Playground Safety
- National Safety Council
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission
Wishing you and your family a fun and safe summer!