Sept. 4, 1997 New Law Plus Routine Inspections Add Up to Safer Playgrounds A new state law emphasizes making playgrounds safer for children. HB 632, passed in 1995 in the 74th Legislature, requires that all new playground equipment, surfacing or installation paid for with public funds after Sept. 1 must substantially comply with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) "Handbook for Public Playground Safety." The 32-page handbook, published in 1994, covers installation and maintenance of equipment, general hazards such as sharp points and head entrapment, access and ladders, surfacing and zones for different uses. The handbooks also provides separate equipment recommendations for preschool and school-age children. "This new law should provide safer, more hazard-free playground equipment by reducing hazards from falls, head entrapment, strangulation and punctures," said Mike Ward, chief of the Texas Department of Health's (TDH) Hazardous Consumer Products Branch. Certified TDH playground safety inspectors conduct periodic public playground safety audits across the state and make presentations to cities and counties, schools, parks and other groups about checking play areas and equipment for safety. Nationally, an estimated 200,000 children a year are treated for playground-related injuries in emergency rooms. Thousands more visit private physicians, and about 15 children die each year from playground-related incidents.

For a free copy of CPSC's "Handbook for Public Playground Safety," send a postcard with your name, address and name of the publication to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207 or call 800-638-2772.

(For more information, contact Charles Branton or Mike Ward, Product Safety Program, at 512-834-6773, ext. 2260 or 2270; or Emily Palmer, Communications Division, at 512-458-7400.)