Playground pose danger of injury and death, study shows.

Most public playgrounds are hazardous, according to a nationwide survey of 760 playgrounds in 24 states conducted by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). Every year about 150,000 children require a trip to the hospital as a result of playground injuries and about 15 die, researchers reported.

"We easily located many unsafe playground surfaces and equipment that can lead to injuries and deaths," said Mary Ellen Fise, CFA product safety director.

The June 1998 Report and Model Law on Public Play Equipment and Areas found 87 percent of playgrounds surveyed did not have adequate protective surfaces such as chipped or shredded wood or rubber matting. According to the study, 75 percent of playground injuries are caused by falls.

Although the number of playgrounds using hard surfaces such as cement under and around play equipment declined from 31 percent in 1992 to 8 percent in 1998, many playgrounds continue to use mixed surfacing--with recommended loose fill materials under some equipment and unsafe hard surfaces like soil and grass under other equipment.

Other hazards the survey noted included swings spaced too close together or too close to supports for safe use (58 percent of playgrounds surveyed), climbing equipment taller than the CFA-recommended six feet (62 percent), slides higher than six feet (37 percent), the presence of unacceptably dangerous equipment such as chain or cable walks and individual climbing ropes (43 percent), equipment including improperly sized openings that pose head entrapment dangers (42 percent), and equipment with protrusions or gaps that could lead to clothing entanglement (40 percent).

New to this year's survey was a question to determine whether paint on playground equipment and surfaces presented a lead hazard. Although 44 percent of the playgrounds surveyed reported chipped or peeling paint, no samples were collected or tested, and further analysis would have to determine if the paint is lead-based. (A recent U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) study found hazardous levels of lead present in at least 16 of the 26 playgrounds it surveyed.)

The CFA/PIRG survey, taken every two years since 1992, is intended to offer guidance for those designing, building, and maintaining playgrounds. The CFA's 1998 model law includes provisions for safe design of equipment and areas, equipment requirements for preschoolers ages 2 to 5, and equipment requirements for children ages 5 to 12.

The law also includes a comparison with CPSC voluntary guidelines for public play equipment issued in November 1997. "[The model law] goes beyond the voluntary guidelines, giving legislators the child development rationale for critical safety measures," said Fise.

The CFA recommends parents and local officials evaluate the safety of playgrounds using its revised fact sheet, Parent Checklist: How Safe Is Your Local Playground?, and its home play equipment fact sheet. The fact sheets are free. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Playground Checklist, P.O. Box 12099, Washington, DC 20005-0999.