Beware! 3 Hidden Dangers of Old Playground Equipment
There’s nothing quite as nice as the sight of children playing on a playground. But if you’re not careful, your child could run into some hidden playground dangers. These are especially common in both commercial outdoor playgrounds and commercial indoor playgrounds that either haven’t been properly maintained or are out of date entirely. Do you know what to look for before your child sets foot on a playground? Here are some of the most common hidden dangers in old playground equipment.
Lack of Maintenance
If you notice issues like rust, missing components, or splintered wood, it’s a sure sign that the playground you’re at hasn’t been maintained in a while. More than that, it could mean the playground equipment there is sorely out of date. If there’s a sharp, rusty piece of metal or serious splinters coming off a wooden surface, it’s time to leave that playground.
Equipment Is too Tall
Older playground equipment may not meet specific height and safety requirements. Safety standards demand that playground equipment should be no higher than six feet for preschoolers and eight feet for children of school-age. Any equipment higher than that could cause serious harm if your child takes a tumble from that height.
Head Entrapment
If playground equipment hasn’t been tested properly, your child could run the risk of head entrapment. Many openings in playgrounds are designed for children to run and tumble through them, but others, not so much. Fortunately, there are modern playground inspection tests that ensure up-to-date equipment is free of any head entrapment dangers.
Remember to Supervise
When the national childhood obesity rate is 18.5%, it can be easy to want your child to run outside and play unsupervised. But if your child is playing on any commercial indoor playground or commercial outdoor playground, it’s crucial to supervise. This becomes especially important if you know a playground is a bit older and may present one or more of these hazards.
Playgrounds should be environments where parents and children feel safe and free to enjoy. If your church or business has old playground equipment that presents one of the above issues, make sure to get it replaced right away.