Swingset Safety

Our son loves to climb and swing. We've been thinking about getting him a swingset for a while, but it took a summer-end clearance sale to push us over the edge. We now have what seems like an overwhelming number of pieces of wood piled all over our garage floor. According to the picture on the box, this pile of wood somehow fits together to make a swingset. That's a project for this weekend, and possibly several weekends to come, depending on how easily it goes together.

Here are some tips on swingset safety from the National Safety Council website - www.nsc.org.


- Buy sturdy equipment that will grow and change as your children become older.
Consider modular equipment that can be bought, installed, replaced or upgraded in
phases.
- Stability is very important. Install the swing set legs in concrete below ground
level to avoid a tripping hazard. However, if you use anchoring devices that
usually come with the equipment, all pegs should be well below ground level and
little or no slack should be in the chain or cable.
- Cap any exposed screws or bolts.
- Do not buy equipment with open-ended hooks, particularly "S" hooks. Avoid:
equipment with accessible moving parts which can pinch, scissor or crush fingers;
sharp edges or rough surfaces; or, rings with a diameter more than five inches but
less than 10 inches, since a child's head may become trapped.
- Slides should have a slope of no more than 30 degrees and sides at least 2 and 2
1/2 inches in height along both sides. They should also have an extended exit
surface parallel to the ground so children can regain their balance and be in an
upright posture at the bottom of the slide.
- Equipment choice should be based on each child's abilities, interests and physical
size. Infants who are unable to sit upright unassisted need to be constantly held
on slides. Preschoolers are susceptible to burns on metal equipment in hot
weather. Children should not play on equipment that is more than eight feet in
height. It doesn't add to their play, but offers a more dangerous fall.

Happy swinging!
Scott & Melissa