Safety Flaws in Majority of Playgrounds Revealed in National Study: Children Potentially at Risk

		NATIONAL PLAYGROUND SAFETY In recognition of National Playground Safety Week, April 24-28, the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) (http://www.uni.edu/playground) has teamed up with 3M Nexcare First Aid Products to design playground signs alerting parents and teachers that children should play on equipment that's appropriate for their age group. According to a study released today by NPPS, only six percent of America's playgrounds have age-appropriate signs, and the lack of such signs may be a leading cause of playground-related injuries. (PRNewsFoto)[AG] CEDAR FALLS, IA USA

		NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR PLAYGROUND SAFETY In recognition of National Playground Safety Week, April 24-28, the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) (http://www.uni.edu/playground) has teamed up with 3M Nexcare First Aid Products to design playground signs alerting parents and teachers that children should play on equipment that's appropriate for their age group. According to a study released today by NPPS, only six percent of America's playgrounds have age-appropriate signs, and the lack of such signs may be a leading cause of playground-related injuries. (PRNewsFoto)[AG] CEDAR FALLS, IA USA

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa, April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS), (http://www.uni.edu/playground) a non-profit organization based at the University of Northern Iowa and funded by the CDC, recently completed a two-year study of the safety of the nation's playgrounds. The results, in the form of a report card, are being released to coincide with National Playground Safety Week, April 24-28. The playgrounds in the United States received a grade of C. The study concluded that America's children are at potential risk while at play, particularly in regard to two of the lowest scoring (F's) elements of the study, supervision and age-appropriate design. The study examined 23 criteria within four overall areas including: Supervision, Age Appropriateness, Fall Surfacing and Equipment Maintenance (S-A-F-E). (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000419/NYWFNS1 http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000419/NYWFNS2 ) "We are generally unhappy with most of the results, but two low-scoring areas are of particular concern. Children were observed playing on equipment without adult supervision 19% of the time and only 10% of the country's playgrounds had rules posted. Further, only 41% had separate age-appropriate areas, and even more disturbing, only 6% had signage indicating whether equipment is designed for age appropriate areas (2-5; 5-12)," according to Dr. Donna Thompson, founder of the NPPS. Thompson continues, "The equipment will not supervise the children, so it is up to the adults to perform that important task. However, appropriate signage would assist adults to understand the expected behavior and use of equipment so they could supervise appropriately." Playgrounds nationwide at childcare centers, schools and parks were among those examined in the study. From 1997-1998, 1,353 playgrounds were studied in 27 states and resulted in an average grade of C-, the results of which were released last April. The second half of the study from 1998-1999 included 1,699 playgrounds in 23 states. The average grade for all 3,052 playgrounds in all 50 states reveals that the United States is still within the C range, earning an average grade of C. "To say that we are disappointed with the study results would be an understatement. The children of America deserve an A playground; most of the factors that are preventing them from having the playground they deserve can be easily remedied, " Thompson says. The NPPS is initiating a program this week with partner 3M Nexcare First Aid Products to install age-appropriate signage in four cities. The objective is to call attention to the lack of such signage nationwide and to set an example that it potentially may improve one of the failing grades. These signs can be viewed by visiting the NPPS website at http://www.uni.edu/playground. Additionally, concerned adults can access this website for more information on individual state grades and to download a blank report card, the same used in the national study, to evaluate their own playgrounds at childcare centers, schools or parks. This evaluation process will help people understand the potential problem areas. For additional information on playground safety, parents, teachers and childcare providers can also call the NPPS at 1-800-554-PLAY for more information about playground safety. The following is a list of state-by-state report card grades. New Grades (released April 2000): Alaska C+ Arizona B+ California B- Colorado B Georgia B Idaho C- Illinois C Kansas C+ Louisiana B- Minnesota C Montana C+ Nebraska C Nevada B N. Dakota C+ Ohio C+ Oklahoma B Oregon B S. Dakota B Tennessee B Texas B- Utah B W. Virginia C Wyoming B- Grades Released in spring 1999: Alabama C- Arkansas C- Connecticut C Florida D- Hawaii C- Indiana C+ Kentucky C Maine C Maryland B- Michigan D- Mississippi C- Missouri C- New Jersey C- New Mexico B- New York C Pennsylvania C+ Rhode Island C+ S. Carolina C Virginia C Washington C- Wisconsin D+ Delaware B Iowa C- Massachusetts C+ New Hampshire C+ N. Carolina C- Vermont C- College professors and their trained research associates administered the survey between spring 1998 and spring 2000; a team of statisticians at the NPPS headquarters, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, evaluated the data. The NPPS is a non-profit organization funded by a grant from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and is dedicated to researching and disseminating information about playground injury prevention in order to make playgrounds SAFE.