Research supports recess, however, playground injuries are prevalent with more than 200,000 cases per year requiring medical attention. School playgrounds are among the leading location for injury. The purpose was to identify the safety and risk factors of playground environments and impact attenuation characteristics of surfacing materials. Results demonstrated 46% playground spaces protected students from traffic. Results found 75% of playgrounds were exposed to full sun, and unitary surface materials were up to 49°F warmer than the air temperature. There was an increase in the probability of risk whether equipment height was over 9 ft for loose fill surfacing materials or over 6 ft for unitary surfaces. Loose strings or ropes looped over equipment were found on 23% of playgrounds. This study provides discussion and data pertaining to numerous aspects of playground safety. Strategies for school nurses are shared to shape policies and education for playground safety practices.
AdelsonS. L.ChounthirathT.HodgesN. L.CollinsC. L.SmithG. A. (2018). Pediatric playground-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments in the United States. Clinical Pediatrics, 57, 584–592.
2.
AlmonJ. (2018). Improving children’s health through play: Exploring issues and recommendations. College Park, MD: Alliance for Childhood and US Play Coalition.
3.
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2013). The crucial role of recess in schools. Pediatrics, 131, 183–188. e20162595.
4.
American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, & National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care. (2011). National health and safety performance standards: Guidelines for out-of-home child care programs (3rd ed.). Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.
5.
AutierP., & Dore for Epimel and Eortc Melanoma Cooperative Group, J. (1998). Influence of sun exposures during childhood and during adulthood on melanoma risk. International Journal of Cancer, 77, 533–537.
6.
ChalmersD. J.LangleyJ. D. (1990). Epidemiology of playground equipment injuries resulting in hospitalization. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 26, 329–334.
7.
ChalmersD. J.MarshallS. W.LangleyJ. D.EvansM. J.BruntonC. R.KellyA. M.PickeringA. F. (1996). Height and surfacing as risk factors for injury in falls from playground equipment: A case-control study. Injury Prevention, 2, 98–104.
8.
ChengT. A.BellJ. M.HaileyesusT.GilchristJ.SugermanD. E.CoronadoV. G. (2016). Nonfatal playground-related traumatic brain injuries among children, 2001-2013. Pediatrics, 137, 1–9.
9.
Consumer Product Safety Commission. (2010). Handbook for public playground safety. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
10.
FiisselD.PattisonG.HowardA. (2005). Severity of playground fractures: Play equipment versus standing height falls. Injury Prevention, 11, 337–399.
11.
GrayP. (2013). Free to learn: Why unleashing the instinct to play will make our children happier, more self-reliant, and better students for life. New York, NY: Perseus Books Group.
HyndmanB. (2017). ‘Heat-Smart’ schools during physical education (PE) activities: Developing a policy to protect students from extreme heat. Learning Communities: International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts, 21, 56–72.
14.
LaForestS.RobitailleY.LesageD.DorvalD. (2001). Surface characteristics, equipment height, and the occurrence and severity of playground injuries. Injury Prevention, 7, 35–40.
15.
MacarthurC.HuX.WessonD. E.ParkinP. C. (2000). Risk factors for severe injuries associated with falls from playground equipment. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 32, 377–382.
16.
MilteerR.GinsburgK. (2012). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bond: Focus on children in poverty. American Academy of Pediatrics, 129, 205–213.
17.
Moogk-SoulisC. (2010). Schoolyard heat islands: A case in Waterloo, Ontario. In 5th Canadian Urban Forest Conference (pp. 24–27).
18.
MorrongielloB. A. (2005). Caregiver supervision and child-injury risk: I. Issues in defining and measuring supervision; II. Findings and directions for future research. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 30, 536–552.
19.
MottA.RolfeK.JamesR.EvansR.KempA.DunstanF.…SilbertJ. (1997). Safety of surfaces and equipment for children in playgrounds. Lancet, 349, 1847–1876.
20.
OliveriaS. A.SaraiyaM.GellerA. C.HeneghanM. O.JorgensenC. (2006). Sun exposure and risk of melanoma. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 91, 131–138.
21.
OlsenH. M.HudsonS. D.ThompsonD. (2008). Developing a playground injury prevention plan. The Journal of School Nursing, 24, 131–137.
22.
OlsenH. M.HudsonS. D.ThompsonD. (2016). SAFE and fun playgrounds: A handbook. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
23.
PhelanK. J.KhouryJ.KalkwarfH. J.LanphearB. P. (2001). Trends and patterns of playground injuries in United States children and adolescents. Ambulatory Pediatrics, 1, 227–233.
24.
RamsetterC. L.MurrayR.GarnerA. S. (2010). The crucial role of recess in schools. Journal of School Health, 80, 517–526.
25.
SchwebelD. C.BrezausekC. M. (2014). Child development and pediatric sport and recreational injuries by age. Journal of Athletic Training, 49, 780–785.
26.
ThompsonD.HudsonS. D.OlsenH. M. (2007). S.A.F.E. play areas: Creation, maintenance, and renovation. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
27.
TuckelP.MilczarskiW.SilvermanD. G. (2017). Injuries caused by fall from playground equipment in the United States. Clinical Pediatrics, 57, 563–573.
28.
VanosJ. K.MiddelA.McKercherG.KaurasE. R.RuddellB. (2016). Hot playgrounds and children’s heath: A multiscale analysis of surface temperatures in Arizona, USA. Landscape and Urban Planning, 146, 29–42.
29.
VollmanD.WitsamanR.ComstockR. D.SmithG. A. (2008). Epidemiology of playground equipment-related injuries to children in the United States, 1996–2005. Clinical Pediatrics, 48, 66–71.
