Training Playground Supervisors Can Reduce Playground Injuries and Potential Liability
by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, The Recess Doctor
Trained Playground Supervisors Can Reduce Injuries
Training Playground supervisors is a critical factor in preventing school liability. After 20 years of serving as an expert witness on playground injury cases, one fact stands out: in every single case where a school was sued and lost, the playground supervisor had not received proper training. This raises an important question—could playground supervision training have kept the school out of court? Possibly. Research consistently shows that inadequate supervision is one of the leading causes of playground injuries.
Expert Witness School Supervision
Research indicates that trained supervisors make a difference in keeping children safe on the playground.
Melinda Bossenmeyer, Ed.D.
Here are some of the reasons why untrained supervisors can be involved in playground injuries cases, and possibly cases where liability is found against the School:
- The untrained supervisor may not be aware of the potential dangers of playground equipment.
- The untrained supervisor may not be able to recognize when a child is in danger.
- The untrained supervisor may not be sufficiently trained to intervene quickly enough to prevent an injury.
In addition, untrained supervisors can be easily distracted by other tasks, such as looking at their phones or talking to other adults. Both of these activities can lead to inadequate supervision and an increased risk of injury.
Here are some tips for ensuring that playground supervisors are properly trained:
- Provide supervisors with training on the potential dangers of playground equipment.
- Falls: Falls are the leading cause of playground injuries. Children fall from swings, slides, climbing structures, and other equipment.
- Entrapment: Children can become entrapped in gaps between pieces of equipment, ropes or chains etc.
- Collisions: Children collide with each other and equipment, leading to injuries.
- Cuts and scrapes and bruises occur but can be reduced when playgrounds are maintained.
- Burns: Especially during the hot summer months.
- Head injuries: Children sustain head injuries from falls and collisions.
Trained Playground Supervisors, on the other hand, look at the playground and children from a completely different perspective.
- Train supervisors on how to recognize when a child is in danger.
- Scan the playground regularly for dangerous items.
- Pay attention to children’s behavior
- Listen to children. Are they yelling? Angry?
- Be aware of potential hazards.
- Be alert for signs of danger
- If you see children in danger, Act immediately!
Supervisors should enforce safety rules and maintain a safe and orderly environment
- Rules should be enforced consistently
- The supervisor should be familiar with all the equipment and its intended use of the equipment
- The supervisor should be able to identify damaged or malfunctioning equipment and tape it off as “out of use”.
Training Playground Supervisors on how to intervene quickly to prevent an injury.
- Have a command for “Stop” or Freeze.
- Get In close proximately to a child in risky play
- If a child picks up a sharp object, approach the child and remove the object.
- If a child is injured, the supervisor should call for help
- Never leave the playground unsupervised
- Be approachable and friendly
Require supervisors to be alert and focused on the children at all times.
- Set clear expectations
- Provide regular training
- Encourage supervisors to take breaks
- Monitor the supervisor performance
- Conduct safety audits
- Hold supervisors accountable
- Be aware restrooms are often problem areas for inappropriate play (flushing toilets, throwing paper towels, water fights, etc.)
- Don’t leave children unsupervised at lunch tables
Supervisor Accountability
- Supervisors should have a clear view of all areas of the playground
- Close areas if children are behind buildings or there are too few supervisors
- Encourage supervision zones
- Provide supervisors with a way to communicate with the office
- Create a culture of safety
- Encourage supervisors to report safety hazards
In addition to these above safety tips, it is best to have someone trained in CPR and First Aid on the playground at all times in case of an emergency.
Training playground supervisors to reduce injuries is one of the most effective ways schools can create safer environments, lower liability risks, and prevent devastating accidents. By taking proactive steps like this, schools can reduce the number of playground injuries, keep children safe, and potentially avoid the frustration, time, and emotional toll of lawsuits stemming from life-altering playground incidents.
I was most recently involved in a case involving one child, reportedly settled in the $10 million range. While this is the largest school settlement of a playground injury that I’m aware of, settlement amounts continue to climb.
To put it in perspective—if the district had invested that $10 million in training playground supervisors to reduce injuries, they could have trained 100,000 teachers at an average cost of less than $100 per person.
We have so many resources (free, minimal cost, training, online, in person, articles, books, etc.) Please take a few minutes and check out your many options to keep kids safe.
Playground Supervision: A How to Guide for Playground Supervisors Order
5 Strategies for Reducing Playground Injuries
https://peacefulplaygrounds.com/product/digital-downloads/5-strategies-reducing-playground-injuries/
Playground Supervision Online Training https://peacefulplaygrounds.com/courses/playground-supervisor-training-2/
For additional resources on Playground Supervision visit the Peaceful Playgrounds Content Library topic: Playground Safety and Supervision Resources These resources are free. https://peacefulplaygrounds.com/playground-safety-and-supervision-members/
