It’s playground safety week, sponsored by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The CPSC is out to prevent falls, entrapments, cuts, and other playground injuries that are all too common at schools and parks.
 
The commission has released a handbook for childcare personnel that instructs them how to build, maintain, and supervise children on appropriate playground equipment.
 
Most specifically, the handbook warns against sharp points, entrapments, and entanglements.
 
The commission also provided these tips:
 
Always supervise children on play equipment to make sure they are safe.
 
Purchase playground equipment that meets the latest safety standards.
 
Maintain at least 9 inches of protective surfacing, including shredded/recycled rubber, wood chips, wood mulch (non-CCA treated), sand or pea gravel under and around playground equipment to cushion children from falls.
 
Check that protective surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. For swings, extend protective surfacing in front and back of the swing, twice the height of the suspending bar.
 
Repair sharp points or edges on equipment. Replace missing hardware and close “S” hooks that can cause injuries.
 
Never attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines, pet leashes or cords of any kind to play equipment due to the strangulation hazard.
 
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