Print
This List
Email to
a Friend
Playground Injuries – Fact Sheet
INFORMATIVE 
Tags: playground, child, safety, facts, injuries, death, deaths, hospital, daycare, home, school
Each year in the United States, emergency departments treat more than 200,000 children ages 14 and younger for playground-related injuries. The following is a concise list of occurrences, consequences, costs, and risk factors to consider:
| | About 45% of playground-related injuries are severe—fractures, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations. |
| | About 75% of nonfatal injuries related to playground equipment occur on public playgrounds. Most occur at schools and daycare centers. |
| | Between 1990 and 2000, 147 children ages 14 and younger died from playground-related injuries. Of them, 82 (56%) died from strangulation and 31 (20%) died from falls to the playground surface. Most of these deaths (70%) occurred on home playgrounds. |
| | In 1995, playground-related injuries among children ages 14 and younger cost an estimated $1.2 billion. |
| | While all children who use playgrounds are at risk for injury, girls sustain injuries (55%) slightly more often than boys (45%). |
| | Children ages 5 to 9 have higher rates of emergency department visits for playground injuries than any other age group. Most of these injuries occur at school. |
| | On public playgrounds, more injuries occur on climbers than on any other equipment. |
| | On home playgrounds, swings are responsible for most injuries. |
| | A study in New York City found that playgrounds in low-income areas had more maintenance-related hazards than playgrounds in high-income areas. For example, playgrounds in low-income areas had significantly more trash, rusty play equipment, and damaged fall surfaces. |
Lister:
john
Source:
CDC – National Center For Injury Prevention and Control
Other lists of interest:
Current list rating:
4.50