- A good playground surface absorbs the energy of a child’s
fall. - Bark mulch that is less than 20cm deep won’t do this
well and inferior rubber surfaces can make injuries worse. -
Playground safety standards should be made mandatory in schools
and Councils just as it is in some childcare facilities. The
last thing anyone wants is for playgrounds to be boring.
Children need to learn to test themselves and take risks, but
they need to do so within an environment that is free from
hazards they can’t see. Having an appropriate landing surface
that is well maintained significantly lowers the risk of injury
should children fall. Fractures on the rise Thanks to improved
safety Standards (particularly the removal of unsafe playground
equipment and reducing the height of structures) playgrounds
today are safer and injury rates for the most catastrophic head-
injuries have significantly declined. The bad news is,
fractures, particularly to the shoulder, wrist, forearm and
elbow are up and have increased by 20% over th