Kids play hard and that means they're going to occasionally skin an elbow or bruise a shin. But it’s important to make safety a top priority to eliminate the risk of more serious mishaps.

All children, regardless of age, require adult supervision. Kids will always find new and inventive—but not necessarily safe—ways to play on or around playground equipment! The good news is that while injuries do happen, many can be avoided with appropriate safety surfacing and simple supervision. 

The National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) tracks a variety of statistics related to playground injuries, including:

• More than 200,000 preschool and elementary children receive emergency department care for playground-related injuries every year
• Nearly 76 percent of all injuries occur on public playgrounds
• For children ages 4 and under, climbers (40 percent) had the highest incidence rates of injury, followed by slides (33 percent)
• For children ages 5 to 14, climbing equipment (56 percent) had the highest incidence rates of injury, followed by swings (24 percent)
• Falls to the surface were a contributing factor in 79 percent of all injuries
• It is estimated that more than 40 percent of playground or play structure injuries are related to inadequate supervision

Besides on-site playground supervision, a number of adults must be actively involved in maximizing the safety of your playground, even before installation:

The Site Planner: The individual or organization that solicits feedback from all stakeholders involved in the installation of a playground, considers all factors affecting the comfort, aesthetics, accessibility and usability of the site, and selects age-appropriate equipment and protective surfacing.

The Manufacturer: A properly insured, respected company like Landscape Structures that follows the established safety and accessibility standards for manufacturing equipment, provides clear and concise installation instructions and offers a step-by-step maintenance program.

The Installer: A properly insured and trained professional who installs the equipment according to the manufacturer's specific instructions.

Read about the new playground safety program that Landscape Structures launched for schools. The Super Safety Team will teach students about safe play on the playground. 

Ask your Landscape Structures playground consultant for more information on playground safety.