Kentucky schools are back in session. Your kids are back at school, but they are still outside playing. Children love the playground whether it is at school or the park. Unfortunately your child can be seriously injured while playing on a playground. Don’t forget playground safety just because school is back in session.

What can you do as a parent to prevent injuries to your children?  Nobody wants to have an accident claim especially when your kids are involved whether it is a skinned knee or a broken arm. There are some precautionary measures you can take when you go to a playground to ensure that it is safe for your child to play on.  

        1)  Look at the base where the playground and the swing equipment are attached to and see if it is soft.  Make sure that it is firm and that everything is attached in a good manner. 

       2) Check for any loose bolts. 

        3) Check for bare bolts or joints that may cause an injury to your child. 

        4) On a playground made of wood, check to make sure that there’s no exposed splinters. Make sure that the wood is new and is not going to cause an injury to your child. 

        5) Look at the area around the playground. This can actually be more dangerous and cause more serious injuries than the playground itself. 

        6) Make sure that there’s no a broken glass or bottles that can injure your child.

        7) Look for any discarded construction type material.

        8) When a playground is close to a roadway , a ball field or a golf course make sure that there’s not going to be any loose or errant balls, etc. coming toward the playground. 

        9) EDUCATE your children! Explain the dangers that are out there. 

The bottom line is we want our children to have fun but be safe wherever they are. A trip to the emergency room is not part of that.  Take these steps so that you don’t have an accident claim against the playground that your child is playing at.  Child accidents are no fun. Prevention is the key.