Falls Prevention

The following information was provided by the NFPA - Risk Watch

Facts:

Unintentional falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries, resulting in more than three million emergency room visits. Each year, more than 2.5 million children 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for fall-related injuries.

Each year, nearly 14 children ages 14 and under die and more than
150,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for playground equipment-related injuries. Lack of supervision is associated with 40% of playground injuries.

Safety Tips:

Many playground injuries can be prevented with safe play rules. Here are some basic safe play rules for children to learn and practice:

• Take turns on playground equipment.
• Play gently - pushing and roughhousing can lead to falls.
• Never wear jackets with drawstrings, jewelry, or scarves around the neck. They can get caught on playground equipment.

Play areas should be covered with at least 12 inches of shredded mulch, wood chips, pea gravel, fine sand or covered with rubber or rubber-like material designed for use under playground materials. Dirt, grass and sand does not provide proper fall protection.

Keep stairs clear of toys and other items that could cause someone to trip. Teach children to hold the handrail when on stairs or escalators and always tie their shoelaces to avoid tripping over them.

Windows opened as little as five inches pose a danger to children under 10. Install window guards with quick release mechanisms that can be opened easily from the inside in case there is a fire.