The <strong>Dirty</strong> <strong>Dozen</strong>: 12 Playground HazardsAre they hiding in your child’s playground?In the time it will take you to readthis pamphlet, a child will be severelyinjured and admitted to anemergency room as a result of aplayground-related accident. It isestimated that, each year, over200,000 such injuries occur andapproximately 15 children will diefrom playground related injuries.As parents and caregivers, we areresponsible for providing safer playopportunities for our children. TheNational Recreation and ParkAssociation (NRPA), through itsNational Playground Safety Institute(NPSI) has identified 12 of theleading causes of injury onplaygrounds. By familiarizing yourselfwith the ‘<strong>Dirty</strong> <strong>Dozen</strong> Checklist’, youcan inspect your local playground forsafety hazards.Should you identify any of thefollowing hazards on your child’splayground, notify theowner/operator about the conditionof the play area, so that they maytake steps to eliminate the hazard(s).
Are you looking for more information on playground safety?Check out these recommended sources:International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA)The International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) isa non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the importance of playin the development of children, to encourage the creation of safer play environments and toprovide a voluntary third-party certification program to validate conformance to the ASTM 1487Playground Equipment Standard and the ASTM 1292 Playground Surfacing Standard.The <strong>Dirty</strong> <strong>Dozen</strong> is presented in partnership with IPEMA.IPEMA4305 N. 6th Street, Ste. AHarrisburg, PA 17110888.944.7362www.ipema.orgAmerican Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM)The American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM) developed a standard for themanufacturing of public playground equipment, Standard Consumer Safety PerformanceSpecification for Playground Equipment for Public Use.For a copy of this standard, contact the ASTM and ask for the F 1487-01 Standard.ASTM100 Barr Harbor DriveWest Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959610.832.9500www.astm.orgU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)For a free copy of the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Handbook for Public PlaygroundSafety (No. 325), contact:U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionWashington, D.C. 20207800.638.2772www.cpsc.govAbout NRPAThe National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is a national not-for-profit organizationdedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life forall people. Through its network of some 20,000 recreation and park professionals and citizens,NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles, recreation initiatives and conservation ofnatural and cultural resources.Headquartered in Ashburn, Va., NRPA works closely with local, state and national recreation andpark agencies, citizen groups and corporations to carry out its objectives. Priorities includeadvocating favorable legislation and public policy; continuing education for park and recreationprofessionals and citizens; providing professional certification, university accreditation, researchand technical assistance; and increasing public awareness of the importance of parks andrecreation. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org.About NPSINRPA’s National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI) promotes children's rights to play in asafe environment and to nationally promote the importance of play in their development.NPSI promotes the latest public playground industry standards and guidelines as the mostdesirable standard of care for public-use playgrounds. For a listing of playground relatedpublications and information available through NRPA, visit www.nrpa.org/npsi.
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