With temperatures warming, more children are heading to the playground--whether it's at school or a park. But the Utah Department of Health warns many of those playgrounds are unsafe. News Specialist Carole Mikita explains.
In the past eight years, more than 18,000 Utah children have been injured on the playground. And we're not talking about the usual scrapes and bruises.
Amy Curry, of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, says, "Falls are the number one cause of head trauma in young children, as well as strangulation in playgrounds around the country on jagged edges and things like that. Parents should be looking out for these on local playgrounds."
Some things to look for:
The Consumer Federation of American recommends at least 24 inches between each swing, and 30 inches between the swing and support structure.
The group also suggests light weight swings, preferably made of rubber or plastic.
Keep in mind, children sometimes get hit in the head when they run past swings. And often they swing side-to-side, rather than a straight line.
Each year nationwide, about 150,000 children get playground injuries that require a trip to the hospital. And 15 of those have been fatalities.