|
|
|
Safety at the Playground or Amusement Park
Pedestrian Injuries: Pedestrian injuries rank third in child fatalities, behind traffic accidents and drownings. The National SAFE KIDS Campaign says children under the age of 10 should cross the street only under the supervision of an adult and that children ages 5 to 9 are at greatest risk for pedestrian death and injury. Arsenic at the Playground: In August, 2001, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission began discussions on chromated copper arsenate (CCA). Almost all outdoor wood products are treated with (CCA) (which is 22 percent arsenic) to prevent insect damage and rotting. Arsenic is highly toxic and is known to cause cancer. In April, 2001, University of Florida researchers reported that children playing every day on CCA-treated play equipment could be ingesting five to seven times the arsenic dose considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as safe. In May, advocacy organizations petitioned the CPSC to ban CCA-treated wood in play equipment. The Environmental Working Group has a kit for testing your deck, play set or deck table and chairs for arsenic. Amusement Parks Reporting Gap: According to Theme Park Insider, "in the United States, no official source is collecting national incident-based theme park accident data. And in many states, including Florida, theme parks are not required to report accidents involving injury. To anyone." Amusement rides show a "worrisome trend" toward injuries: A study in the January 2002 edition of the Annals of Emergency Medicine note a "worrisome trend" in the growing number of injuries. According to a press release from the journal, "federal legislation passed in 1981 exempted large, fixed-site amusement parks like Disney World and Six Flags from reporting injuries or undergoing accident investigations by the CPSC. The authors believe this legislation has led to the actual number of injuries per year to be underestimated. During the past 10 years, 15 case reports of life-threatening brain injuries caused by riding roller coasters have been published in the medical literature. Several authors, who presented these reports, commented that giant roller coasters produce enough G forces to cause neurologic injury."
Don't let your child play while wearing bicycle helmets, scarves or fastened ties: A reader asked us to mention the danger of playing in parks, playgrounds or amusement parks while wearing a bicycle helmet. Had it not been for his quick action, his granddaughter would have choked to death when her bicycle helmet became caught on playground equipment. We extend this warning to scarves, hood strings, ties, and any other material that can become caught. Also never let your young children play in parks without adult supervision. In the case of an accident, quick action might save their lives.
For More Information (Playground):
For More Information (Amusement Parks and Carnivals):
|
|
Safer Child, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with federal tax-exempt status. Please note: 1) External organizations listed herein do not necessarily endorse Safer Child positions, nor do we necessarily endorse theirs. We list them as a courtesy and aren't responsible for their accuracy, completeness or content. 2) We recommend you maintain a healthy skepticism when reviewing information on the Internet; it might appear to be reliable -- yet actually be false, misleading, incomplete, out-of-date and/or intentionally harmful. 3) There might be material on the Internet that you disagree with or find objectionable; preview all sites before viewing them with your child. 4) We are not responsible for external addresses/phone numbers changing without our knowledge. 5) The information and commentary on this site are not substitutes for professional advice from your doctor, lawyer, or mental health professional. 6) Requests for permission to republish, copy and/or distribute any material found on this Web site should be directed to Safer Child, Inc.
Copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Safer Child, Inc. All rights reserved. |
