Brain Injury Association of New York State

Playground Safety

Scope of the Problem

Three-quarters of the children who die by falling from playground equipment sustained a brain injury
Brain injury is one of the top 10 diagnosis in emergency rooms for playground related injuries
Each year, there are approximately 200,000 preschool and elementary aged children who receive emergency department care in the U.S. from injuries that occurred on playground equipment
For ages 0 - 4, injuries to the brain and face account for nearly 60 percent of all injuries
Estimated cost of playground equipment related injuries to children under age 15 was $1 billion in 1992 (1)
About 15 children die each year as result of playground equipment related incidents. Most of the injuries are the result of falls

Where do Injuries Occur

Playgrounds were made for children and it is important for every childs healthy development to have a safe place to run, climb and explore. Unfortunately, children on playgrounds sustain many serious brain injuries every year. Some figures taken from a 1991 study of child injuries reveals the following:

Play Equipment	Injury	Head Injury	% with a Head Injury
Swings	100,649	18,407	18
Monkey Bars	75,489	8794	11
See-Saws	53,219	9472	17

Public playground equipment accounts for approximately 70 percent of all playground equipment injuries
Most injuries occur on the swing, monkey bars or climbers and the slides
Falls onto hard surfaces is the #1 contributing factor in playground injuries
Hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt should be avoided, unless required as a base for rubber matting

How to Prevent Playground Injuries

The safest playground surfaces are soft impact-absorbing materials such as sand (ten inches deep) or wood chips (12 inches deep). Rubber mats also give protection against falls
Children should always be supervised when playing on equipment - in school, at child care or preschool, or visiting the park play areas. It is estimated that over 40 percent of playground injuries are related to inadequate supervision (2)
Playground equipment should have a six foot clearance around each piece and a 12-foot clearance between two pieces
Do not allow your child to play on a trampoline
Since 60 percent of all injuries are caused by falls to the ground, protective surfacing under and around all playground is the most critical safety factor on playgrounds (3)