While church and parochial school playgrounds are a huge asset to a congregation, they can also be a liability. According to Children’s Safety Network, every year, emergency rooms see more than 200,000 children who were injured as the result of a playground accident.
It can be tempting to send kids to the playground while adults are busy with something else, but it’s important to always have an adult supervisor present on the playground. Moreover, these supervisors should be actively watching the children, and not focused on other tasks or distractions.
It’s important that churches communicate safety tips with any adult who may be supervising children on the playground. Those tips include:
- Check equipment at the beginning of every playground session. Weather can be rough on playground equipment, and you never know when a piece of equipment will become unusable. Perform a walk-through of the equipment before children start playing, and make sure they know any broken equipment is off-limits. You could consider using barrier protection to deter children from using that equipment, such as caution tape or even temporary construction fencing. If children do try to use off-limits equipment, their playground privileges should be suspended.
- Make sure children are wearing appropriate footwear and clothing. This is especially important during the summer, when children tend to wear potentially dangerous shoes. Flip-flops or sandals can be hazardous on certain types of equipment. Likewise, drawstrings on clothing such as hoodies or jackets can present a strangulation hazard on the playground and should be avoided.
- Check for unsafe modifications. Children can be creative with the ways they use playground equipment—and that creativity often results in unsafe conditions. When supervisors are performing their walk-through before the children start playing, they should also check for unsafe modifications, such as ropes tied to equipment.
- Be a good role model. Kids are very observant when it comes to the adults in their lives. They will notice when the adult on the playground isn’t paying attention, and may use that to their full advantage. They will also take note when the adult is exhibiting patience and empathy, and when they are following the rules they set forth. The last thing your supervisors should do when watching children on the playground is engage in horseplay or other rough behavior to show off to impressionable minds.
- Respond to accidents quickly. No matter how vigilant a supervisor is, accidents do happen—and that’s when the adult on the playground becomes the most important person to a child. Supervisors should always have a first-aid kit handy. Here’s a quick round-up of a few playground injuries and how to treat them:
- Scrapes – Wash with soap and water, apply antibacterial ointment and cover with a bandage.
- Split lip – Apply pressure for five to 10 minutes to stop the bleeding, then clean with soap and water.
- Broken bones – For a suspected fracture, follow your organization’s emergency response protocol and notify the child’s parent or guardian. For a severe injury or emergency situation, call 911.
- Head injury – If you suspect a child has a concussion, watch them carefully after the incident. If they start having balance or speech problems, or if they report dizziness or difficulty reading, notify the child’s parent or guardian and follow emergency response protocol.
Churches and church-owned schools should never overlook their playground as a potential source of risk. Take steps to lower the possibility of a child becoming injured. If an injury should occur, it should be documented with an incident report once appropriate first aid or medical care has been secured for the child.
About the author
Eric Spacek, is Assistant Vice President – Risk Control for Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.
He serves on the board of directors of the Iowa Prayer Breakfast Committee and on the board of directors for the Friends of Youth Justice Initiative in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Spacek attends Hope+Elim, a multi-cultural satellite location of Lutheran Church of Hope, in Des Moines, Iowa, and volunteers on the safety and security team.