Do You Have an Amazing Backyard Jungle Gym? Is it Safe?

When it comes to choosing a backyard swing set, the fun factor is important, but safety must be paramount. As summer stretches on, your children and the children of friends and neighbors may be spending a lot of time on your backyard playground structure. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 200,000 kids in the U.S. go to emergency rooms for playground injuries every year.

• Install a shock-absorbing surface to minimize injury when kids trip or fall. For play structures up to seven feet high, use at least nine inches of wood chips, mulch or shredded rubber. For play structures up to five feet high, you can use sand or pea gravel, but be sure it is at least nine inches deep.

  The shock-absorbing surface should extend at least six feet out from the play equipment in all directions. For swings, the safe surface may need to extend a little further – at least twice the high of the suspending bar, both in front and behind the swings.

• Check the equipment for protruding hardware, like open “S hooks” or the ends of bolts, and look for sharp points or edges on the equipment. A child could get lacerations from such protrusions, or clothing could get caught and result in other injury.

• Make sure platforms and ramps have guardrails to prevent falls, and be sure that the rails are not too slippery for a child to hold onto.

• Check for spaces where small children could get caught or trapped. Make sure the openings in guardrails and between platforms and ladder rungs measure less than four inches or more than nine inches.

• Ensure that the play structure is securely braced and anchored or embedded in the ground. Remove any protruding concrete footings to avoid a tripping hazard. Also remove any tree stumps or large rocks within the play area.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, make sure the children playing in your backyard are supervised by an adult at all times. A parent’s watchful eye can mean the difference between a happy afternoon of play and an accident on your property that could result in a trip to the emergency room and a whole mess of legal trouble.

If you’ve been injured by a dog bite, it’s crucial that you take immediate legal action. The knowledgeable NJ personal injury attorneys at Graziano & Flynn are highly experienced in obtaining optimal results and compensation for their clients. Contact us today if you’ve been hurt.