Playground Injuries Fact Sheet
by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, The Recess Doctor
Playground injury data
Playground injury data is typically taken from children arriving at a hospital emergency room for treatment. This information provides an opportunity to review your playground and analyze problem areas where most injuries occur.
Where Children Get Injured:
About 45% of playground-related injuries are severe fractures, Internal injuries, concussions, dislocations and sometimes even amputations (Tnsworth 2001).
75% of nonfatal injuries related to playground equipment occur on public playgrounds such as schools and day care centers.
On occasion, a small percentage of playground injuries result in death. (70%) of injuries resulting in deaths occur on home playgrounds. When children die as a result of playground injuries 56% of the time it is from strangulation and 20% of the time it is a result of falls to the surfacing.
Principal Shalhoub said,
We’ve had a great response to the new playground. The kids love it, the parents love it.
Murrieta Springs Charter School.
At-Risk Groups
55% of injuries are to girls
45% of injuries are to boys
Injuries Based on Equipment Type
In public playgrounds, most injuries occur on climbers
On home playgrounds, most injuries occur on swings
Low-income areas are also a risk factor for injuries. It seems that low-income areas are maintained less and related hazards are more plentiful in these areas (ie. trash, rusty equipment, and improper or not well-maintained playground surfacing etc.)
References
Tinsworth D, McDonald J. Special Study: Injuries and Deaths Associated with Children’s Playground Equipment. Washington (DC): U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; 2001
CDC Playground Injury Fact Sheet –http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Playground-Injuries/playgroundinjuries-factsheet.htm
