DETROIT – Kristi Caster keeps a close eye on her 3-year-old son, Derby, as he plays on a playset that is on display at the Doll Hospital and Toy Solider Shop in Berkley.
Caster said Derby recently took a tumble on a backyard playset.
"He was actually bending over and another little child without knowing consequences just gave him a little shove and down he went," Caster said.
Derby did not have any serious injuries, but according to the Centers for Disease Control, playground-related injuries send about 200,000 children to the emergency room. Those injuries can include broken bones, concussions, internal injuries, dislocations and amputations.
The majority of accidents happen on public playgrounds, but almost 51,000 of those injuries happen in someone's backyard.
Caster said her family has established playground rules.
"We talk about safety, especially when there are multiple kids on the play structure," she said.
To avoid a trip to the emergency room, families should establish rules for playing on backyard playsets and trampolines.
"Rules are very important that every house has. It's rules for play, don't go up on the roof, don't stand up on a monkey bar, things that children sometimes like to do as daredevils," said Jack Zagrodzki, the vice president of marketing for the Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop in Berkley.
The Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop has been selling playsets for over 35 years.
Zagrodzki said one safety issue parents need to consider when deciding on play equipment is how much room they have for the structure.
"Typically for a playset six feet in every direction on top of the actual foot print of the set," Zagrodzki said.
Sun exposure is also something to consider when purchasing a playset. Zagrodzki said equipment that is in the hot sun can get really hot, for example the slide. He recommends that a yellow slide will be cooler than a green one in the sun.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 60 percent of all injuries are caused by falls to the ground. Parents should consider what type of surface will be under the playset. The CPSC recommends surfaces like wood chips or sand that provide a protective surface underneath the play equipment. For the CPSC's list of recommended surfaces and depths, click here.
Local 4's Dr. Frank McGeorge agrees with the CPSC.
"You can never underestimate the value of mulch. You can think of it as an emergency safety net for your children. Don't skimp there," said McGeorge.
Zagrodzki said maintenance is key and recommends parents check out a playset soon after it is installed.
"Once you have a playset up it's incumbent on the owner to first off, after some good active play, to make sure the nuts and bolts are still good and tight," Zagrodzki said.
Maintenance is key to keeping playset said according to Zagrodzki. He recommends walking around your playset weekly, looking under roofs and slides for wasp nets.
"You want to make sure monthly or every two months again keep up on is everything tight so that you don't have a leaning set," said Zagrodzki.
He recommends checking nuts and bolts monthly and looking for screw that are not flush.
"Check the ductile swing hangers to make sure everything is still secure and safe," Zagrodzki said.
According to the CPSC, nearly 105,000 trampoline-related injuries landed people in the emergency room last year.
"The very nature of trampolines is they are encouraging children to do more and more acrobatics potentially dangerous things," said McGeorge.
Just like there are rules for playsets, there should be rules for trampolines, too. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends families should let just one person jump at a time.
Other suggestions from the CPSC for trampolines:
- Do not attempt somersaults because landing on the head or neck can cause paralysis
- Don't use without shock-absorbing pads that completely cover its springs, hooks and frame
- Keep it away from buildings, trees and other play areas
- No one under 6 should use a full-size trampoline
- Anyone using a trampoline should be supervised
- Trampoline enclosure can help prevent injuries from falls off of them.
"Every trampoline manufacturer is going to have a warning label that comes on a set, as well as their owners manual that only one child can play at a time," Zagrodzki said.
Common trampoline injuries include colliding with someone, landing wrong while doing jumps or stunts, falling or jumping off of it and falling on the springs or frame.
"I have personally seen severe injuries broken necks, impalements by springs. If you are going to use a trampoline use it carefully under super vision and make sure it is well maintained," said McGeorge.
Zagrodzki offers his own advice to parents when they are buying a trampoline.
"Make sure there are no holes in the netting, make sure they're secure down at the bottom of the trampoline that they're bunged down, make sure that all the straps are tight, that the knots are in place. If you see something that's coming up or untying its simple just tie it back up," Zagrodzki said.
According to the CDC, the most common injury on public playgrounds happen on climbers, while on home playgrounds it's the swings.