At this time of year we begin seeing a flood of children in the emergency room. They're not there because of viruses or severe allergies. They're there because of backyard playground injuries. The very area that is supposed to provide an abundance of fun is instead ruining days and causing pain.

More than 200,000 children under age 14 are treated annually for playground-related injuries. That number can easily be reduced with some simple playground childproofing. Here's how:

•	Cushion it. Most backyard playground injuries occur from falls off equipment. Making the fall worse is the fact that most backyard play sets are placed on the hard ground - grass and dirt do not cushion falls. We see an abundance of broken bones, bruises, and head injuries from these falls. To childproof your play set, use at least 9 inches of a soft material -- such as mulch or shredded rubber -- to create a shock-absorbing surface for equipment up to 8 feet tall. For equipment less than 5 feet tall, you can spread sand or gravel underneath instead (again, make it at least 9 inches deep). Poles, rails, and landscaping timbers can be padded with pole padding found HERE.
•	Create a fall zone. Your cushioned surfacing should extend at least 6 feet in all directions from equipment.
•	No ropes. No one should attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines or pet leases to playground equipment. Children have strangled on these.
•	Anchor it. Make sure playground equipment is level and securely anchored into the ground.
•	Eliminate spaces that could trap children. All openings on equipment (guardrails, ladder rungs, bars, etc.) should be less than 3 inches or greater than 9 inches.
•	Inspect hardware regularly. Remove sharp points by capping any exposed screws and bolts. Replace open "s" hooks with new safety hardware.
•	Remove tripping hazards. The area around a playground should be free of trees, stumps, rocks, concrete footings and anything else a child could fall over. You also should do regular sweeps for glass, old nails and other sharp objects.
•	Maintain the space. Check the depth of your cushioned surfacing regularly as materials will compact, decompose, or wash away over time. Tighten bolts and screws annually.
•	Reconsider sliding with your toddler. A recent study showed many young children can break their shinbone when riding down a sliding board on an adult's lap. Their small legs are often pulled under your body in the blink of an eye as you slide. Instead, stand off to the side and spot them as they go down.

As you can see, ensuring your child has a safe and fun backyard playground is easy to accomplish and pays huge dividends.

If you like these tips, please pass them to your friends, clients and colleagues.

If you have questions about child proofing your Home or Business, or to schedule an appointment, please contact us at (757) 200-7233 or Info@ChildSafetyHouseCalls.com.

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About Child Safety House Calls
Child Safety House Calls is led by two emergency room pediatricians and specializes in evaluating and selling through their online child safety store safety products for play set childproofing, playground childpoofing, backyard childproofing, and backyard playground safety. They provide information to parents nationwide on the best play set childproofing products and methods. In Hampton Roads, Virginia, their team conducts child safety house calls to parents in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News, and Williamsburg.