How Swiss playgrounds stay safe
Fortunately, serious accidents on playgrounds are rare. To keep it that way, they are regularly checked for safety.
Playgrounds contribute to children's development and promote self-assurance and self-confidence. But they can also harbor dangers. In Switzerland, around 9000 children are injured in public playgrounds every year, most frequently in falls. Most accidents are related to playground equipment (e.g. slides, board swings, climbing towers, seesaws), faulty equipment (e.g. rotten wooden posts) or the flooring. Fortunately, serious accidents and fatalities are very rare, as an analysis by the bfu shows.
Children devote all their attention to play. Only at the age of ten do they develop risk-aware behavior. Dangers must therefore be reduced. However, they cannot be completely eliminated. Children should learn how to deal with them. Minor injuries are therefore possible - but serious accidents with permanent damage must be prevented. Furthermore, there should be no hidden dangers for children.
The bfu safety delegates in the municipalities
To ensure that public playgrounds are safe, they are often inspected by a bfu safety delegate in municipalities that have one. The inspection includes a weekly visual check and a monthly operational check. This involves checking whether there is any visible damage or loose parts. This is because problems often arise due to rotten wooden posts, ropes that no longer hold, defective steel springs or tilted foundations. Another important checkpoint is the impact area. Are there any hard objects such as stones or splinters? Is the fall protection material still sufficient? Sharp edges and broken or even missing parts also pose a risk. Specialist companies and suppliers are often called in for the additional annual inspection - usually now in spring.
Accident prevention is one of the central tasks of a municipality. Are there unrecognizable traps or barely visible obstacles in the skate park where young people meet? Is the senior citizens' residence age-appropriate? Is the playground in good condition? It takes a trained eye and specialist knowledge to determine this. The more than 1,200 bfu safety delegates have both and are available to provide advice and assistance in matters of accident prevention. A new bfu video shows the diverse everyday life of the safety delegates. This video and further information on the bfu safety delegates can be found at www.sicherheitsdelegierte.bfu.ch.
