Chapter 12 - For The Safety of Canadian Children And Youth

Chapter 12

Playground Equipment Injuries

HIGHLIGHTS

The hospitalization rate for falls from playground equipment rose continually throughout the 1980s and subsequently declined very slightly until 1992 (Statistics Canada).

Over 77% of the injuries related to playground equipment reported by CHIRPP in 1993 were due to falls. In the home environment about 50% of injuries were associated with swings. In public and school playgrounds, climbers were associated with the largest number of injuries.

Data collected by the Product Safety Bureau of Health Canada between 1992 and 1995 showed that 8 deaths were attributable to playground equipment, and all of them occurred after strangulation or choking. In 5 of these cases the child's clothing became caught in the equipment, and this led to strangulation.

CHAPTER 12
Playground Equipment Injuries