Related: Playground Inspections & Playgrounds

Every year over 28,000 children are hurt on playgrounds, and though quite a few of these injuries are likely caused as a result of children being children, the vast majority of them are actually caused from playgrounds that are not properly maintained.

The number of injuries that children have sustained at playgrounds has increased dramatically over the past several years. Take Manitoba for example; in 2007, they had 48 serious hospitalizations because of accidents that occurred on playgrounds, and by 2011 it had almost doubled to 77 hospitalizations.

Now we are not saying that you shouldn’t let your children out to play. But you should be aware of what to look out for to ensure that an improperly maintained playground won’t harm your child.

Here’s what you should look out for:

1. Watch out for broken playground equipment, i.e. pieces of the slide missing which can easily harm a child while playing.
2. Check for rust spots as this could be a sign of a weakened playground structure which could be the cause of a tripping hazard or unexpected pieces to fall off.
3. Be sure the playground surface is properly maintained to cushion a child should they fall. Insufficiently maintained playground surfaces are one of the primary causes of playground injuries.
4. Ensure the playground has regular inspections and maintenance to circumvent any weak points in the playground structure.

Below are some images of what to be cautious of and what to look for in a properly maintained playground.

Images of What to Lookout indicating an Unsafe Playground

Images of Safe Playgrounds
and What You Should Expect
To See

You can help prevent a child from unnecessarily getting injured while they are playing
at what should be considered a safe place.

Do you have an unsafe playground in your local area? Do you want to share any stories or tips you may have about playgrounds? Comment below to add your voice to the discussion.