We often blog about the perils our elderly loved ones face when it comes to falls and fall related injuries. However, another group of dearly beloved that are at a particularly high risk of experiencing a fall are children.
According to statistics from safekids.org, in 2011 over 2.8 million children were treated in the emergency room for fall related injuries. Although a majority of falls happen at home, another place that experiences high volumes of fall-related injuries is the playground.
75 percent of all playground injuries are fall-related. This relates to more than 200,000 children being treated for playground fall-related injuries each year. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 45% of these injuries are severe fractures.
Fortunately, with the right safety precautions in place, we can drastically lower the number of fall-related injuries our young loved ones experience when playing on the playground. The following are some great ways to help reduce that number and keep your loved ones safe from falls.
Dress Appropriately
Dress your children in properly fitting clothes and shoes. It is also smart to minimize the use of scarves, drawstrings and jewelry that can get caught or cause a child to trip. Finally make sure shoes are tied tightly.
Teach Respectful Play
It is important to teach your children how to play safely on the playground with other kids and to avoid play that involves pushing, shoving, tripping or crowding.
Check the Equipment
Check for broken steps, loose rungs and fasteners, rusting or any out of place objects. Unmaintained playground equipment greatly increases the risk of an injury. If the playground is in disrepair let your city parks and recreation department know and find an alternative.
Supervise Your Children
It’s always a good idea to keep an active eye on your children especially in playgrounds you have never been to. For younger children, shadow them on climbing toys and slides to help lower their risk of experiencing a fall.
Check the Surface
Finding a playground with a soft, shock-absorbing surface such as bark, rubber, sand or pea gravel will help minimize the chance of your child experiencing a fall-related injury.
When Possible, Use SmartCells Fall Protection Products
The line of SmartCells Fall Protection products helps prevent falls, as well as injuries from falls. The unique dual-stiffness structure of SmartCells, provides users with a stable standing surface that will not cause a balance impaired person to lose their balance, while at the same time provide significant cushioning if a fall does occur.
Comparative studies and research to date have yet to record any broken bones on a SmartCells product, and indicate a substantial reduction in other fall-related injuries such as contusions and skin tears.
SmartCells Fall Protection child safety mats combine effectiveness with style and quality, including features like a low profile height (1/2”) and molded-in beveled edges, which reduce tripping hazards.
SmartCells child safety mats are made of latex-free rubber that will not absorb liquids, which allows them to be easily cleaned.
SmartCells Fall Protection child safety mats are available in a variety of colors (Black, Light Brown, and Grey) and configurations ranging from standard sizes (2×3, 3×5 and 24×68), to build-your-own mats and custom flooring.
SmartCells Fall Protection: We’ll be there when you can’t be.