FALL PREVENTION TIPS
On the playground:
- Supervise young children at all times. Prevent behaviors like pushing, shoving, and crowding around equipment.
- Make sure that children play on playground equipment that is appropriate for their age.
For example, don't let young children play on high climbing equipment such as monkey bars. Keep all children off equipment from which they might fall six or more feet. - Check the surface under playground
equipment. Avoid playgrounds with asphalt,
concrete, grass, and soil surfaces under the
equipment. Look for surfaces of hardwood
fiber, mulch chips, pea gravel, fine sand, or
shredded rubber - materials that can
cushion a fall - with a depth of at least 9 inches.
In the home:
- Supervise young children at all times.
- Never leave babies alone on any furniture. Instead, put babies on the floor or in a crib with secured guardrails.
- As babies get older and learn to sit and pull up to a standing position, lower the mattress in the crib. You should stop using the crib as soon as the top rails are less than 3/4 of the child's height.
- Do not use baby walkers because they allow children access to stairways and areas of the home that may result in a fall.
- Install gates at top and bottom of stairs until children can climb up and down safely.
- Move chairs, cribs, beds, and other furniture away from windows. So that children can't climb to window ledges or sills, and fall.
- Safely secure windows with window guards or window stops to keep children from falling out of windows. Window screens are not designed to prevent falls. If you need to open windows, open them from the top - not the bottom.
- Dry slippery surfaces and remove hazards whenever possible.
- Secure area rugs and throw rugs by using a nonskid backing.
- Select play equipment that is safe for young children such as equipment that keeps children low to the ground.