OUTDOOR PLAYGROUND STANDARDS.

Most of us have fond memories of childhood playgrounds , nor bring to mind playgrounds as dangerous places where injuries and in many cases deaths happen. In line with the National Program for Playground Safety, 200,000 children 12 months are injured in public areas playground equipment and yet another 50,000 are injured on kitchen appliances. An individual Product Safety Commission has issued voluntary public and home playground standards to forestall the amount of accidents that send children towards the hospital.

SIGNIFICANCE
Even though the CPSC standards are voluntary, the nation's Program for Playground Safety encourages all states to take the standards as law. At the time of 2010, 16 states have passed laws requiring all or the main standards that must be followed. The NPPS offers training programs for school personnel, child care providers, federal local and state officials or anyone that might benefit from the program.

IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDS
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's studies show that 79 percent of injuries in public areas playgrounds were caused by falls from equipment. Sharp edges, collisions, hot surfaces and protrusions also cause injury. Fatal injuries were the result of falls, head entrapment and entanglement in ropes or clothing.

FEATURES
The surface below trampoline game would need to absorb shock to lessen head injuries in the case of falls. Appropriate materials are pea gravel, sand, shredded rubber mulch, and wood mulch or chips not chemically treated. Dirt and grass are certainly not acceptable. The CPSC addresses proper layout of playgrounds. Equipment and play areas must be situated so caretakers are able to see and monitor activity. The standards also address entrapment hazards where a child slides his body by using an opening but his head is not going to fit. This can force the child to dangle, the industry strangulation hazard. A broad rule is openings have to be small compared to 3 1/2 inches and so the child cannot fit his body through, or 9 inches so the body and head would slide through. Instructions for assembly and maintenance are addressed.

AGE STANDARDS
The CPSC recommends that playgrounds are made to be age appropriate. Different ages and development stages need a variety of equipment. The security standards divide age groups. Toddlers are A few months to two years of age, preschool age kids are 2 to 5 years of age, and school age are 5 through 12 years old. The CPSC standards address age variations in regard to styles of equipment, size and ways in which playgrounds are presented.

SAFETY TIPS
The NPPS advises parents to read through the standards and inspect home playgrounds and public playgrounds into their area for safety hazards. On top of that, children should have supervision whenever using trampoline safety. Ropes. leashes or strings need to be removed before allowing children to learn. Children should never wear bicycle helmets during your the playground as being the helmet may get caught on equipment and pose a strangulation hazard. Should you spot any heavy animal swings, you can keep them removed. They can cause injury should they hit children, and were recalled in 1995.