CONTRACT RESEARCH REPORT 426/2002

1 HSEH ealth & SafetyExecutivePlaygrounds - risks, benefits and choicesPrepared byMiddlesex Universityfor the Health and Safety ExecutiveCONTRACT RESEARCH REPORT426/2002 HSEH ealth & SafetyExecutivePlaygrounds - risks, benefits and choicesProfessor David J BallMiddlesex UniversitySchool of Health & Social SciencesCentre for Decision Analysis & Risk ManagementArchway Campus2-10 Highgate HillLondon N19 5LW This REPORT describes the first detailed strategic risk assessment of outdoor playgrounds in the UK forover a decade. It also reviews international RESEARCH on risk factors. In summary, the risk of injury onUK playgrounds is found to be modest compared with the risks of many other activities in whichchildren are encouraged, for accepted reasons, to participate.

2 The main risk factors on playgrounds arefound to be behaviour, equipment height, and body orientation in falls to the ground (not necessarily inthat order). Scientific evidence of the effectiveness of compliant undersurfacing as a risk mitigationmeasure is mixed. While some RESEARCH points to a positive benefit the associated risk factor isrelatively small and the question remains of how the measure affects child safety in the round. From alegal perspective, the question also arises as to whether the projected benefit, if accepted, is sufficientto meet the British safety criterion of reasonable practicability.

3 It is noted that over the past decade,during which there have been many playground safety interventions, coupled perhaps with less usageof playgrounds, there is as yet no sign of a downward trendin overall numbers of injury , there is a view that play provision may have reduced in quantity and possibly also inquality. This, it is thought, has been brought about by concern over accidents, litigation, cost of safetymeasures et cetera. A problem for play providers is that these concerns are very tangible, whereas thebenefits of play, social, physical and psychological are far less easily quantified. The appropriatebalance between play benefits, one of which is considered by leading play agencies to be theopportunity to experience real risk, and safety on playgrounds, is a social and not a scientific matter,and may warrant careful reconsideration.

4 Some risk management measures are suggested whichmight be helpful. It is also recommended that, in the interests of child safety, risk assessment shouldbe applied to the activities of children both on and off playgrounds to safeguard against plausiblerisktransfer mechanisms and to optimise child safety REPORT and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive. Its contents,including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors and do not necessarilyreflect HSE BOOKSii Crown copyright 2002 Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to:Copyright Unit, Her Majesty s Stationery Office,St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1 BQFirst published 2002 ISBN 0 7176 2340 8 All rights reserved.

5 No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmittedin any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the priorwritten permission of the copyright owner. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1.

6 INTRODUCTION Background Objectives REPORT Structure 2. AN OVERVIEW OF PLAY INJURY CASES IN THE UK Non-fatal injuries where and how many? Data from the LASS reports Play equipment product-related accidents and the LASS data base Numbers of equipment-related cases by location Fatalities in playgrounds An overview of where and how many 3. TYPES OF INJURIES AND CAUSAL FACTORS Fatalities Non-fatal injuries 4. ASSESSING RISKS Studies of perspective International data UK data Studies of playground risk factors Biomechanical studies of falls Impact attenuation of surfaces Play observed minutely The PRAV study Real time observation 5.

7 ASSESSING BENEFITS Why consider benefits? Unavoidable difficulties associated with play benefits Modest evidence Playground risks a step on the road to coping with life? iii 6. BEHAVIOUR versus ENVIRONMENT Social approaches to understanding play and behaviour Environmental approaches to safety Behaviour versus environment 7. ANALYSIS AND REVIEW How dangerous are playgrounds in the UK? Why the focus on safety in the playground? What is the meaning of safety ?

8 The effectiveness of safety measures Threats to playgrounds The problem of balance 8. CONCLUDING DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS The key issue is balance Safety on and off playgrounds Safety on playgrounds Standards Good practice Playground surfacing RESEARCH needs APPENDIX A Analysis of the 1998 DTI LASS data set APPENDIX B Further analysis of trends APPENDIX C Risk-benefit analysis and alternative playground surfacing APPENDIX D The application of cultural theory to playgrounds iv

9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Although the views finally expressed in this REPORT are necessarily the responsibility of the author, the analysis and the formulation of these ideas has been greatly assisted by discussions held with numerous parties. Space is insufficient to thank everyone, but the following organisations in particular are gratefully acknowledged for their invaluable support throughout this project: all of the members of the UK Play Safety Forum as hosted by the Children s Play Council the DTI s Consumer Safety Unit staff of the Glasgow office of the HSE Many individuals have also provided data, offered comments and given advice.

10 Special mention is due to Amy Yan, Helen Vicary and Phil Raine of the DTI CSU, Robin Foster and Fiammetta Gordon of HSE (Rose Court), David Chalmers (IPRU, University of Otago) and Steve Marshall (formerly of IPRU and now of the University of North Carolina), Ian Burks (Keep Our Children Safe Campaign and Fairplay), Tim Gill of the Children s Play Council, Robin Sutcliffe (chair of the PSF), Jean Wenger (NPFA), Peter Heseltine (RoSPA), Diane Pain (formerly RESEARCH officer for PRAV), and Joan Wood of Learning Through Landscapes. v vi 1.