Where Will Your Child Land If She Falls Off Playground Equipment?
Playgrounds are places for children to play. I’ve already posted a blog about how children can be injured on playgrounds by dangerous equipment, but there are other ways children can be hurt on a playground.
Children of all ages fall off of playground equipment. In fact, more children are injured on playgrounds from falls than from any other kind of injury. It’s up to whoever is in charge of the playground (you, if it’s in your yard; your child’s school if it’s on the school’s property; the community, if it’s a public playground) to set up and maintain the area under the equipment so that it creates a safe landing place for your child when she falls.
Unsafe surfaces under playground equipment are asphalt, concrete, dirt, grass or flooring covered by carpet or gym mat. They are too hard and have no “give” to them. Acceptable surfaces are wood chips, mulch, sand, pea gravel, or shredded rubber.
And, can you even guess how deep the filler materials should be? I’ve seen recommendations for between 9 and 12 inches!
So, even if your child’s playground looks safe because it has a mulch surface, be sure to ask how deep the the mulch (or other filler) is.
If your child is injured from a fall on a playground, you should talk to a child injury lawyer about whether the playground was unsafe, by its design, by its lack of maintenance or by its unacceptable surface. Feel free to give me a call at 703-273-9500, contact me at srohrstaff@WRSattorneys.com or through my firm’s website, www.WRSattorneys.com. I will answer your questions for free.
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