The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics 2008 , Vol 50 , Num 6
Assessment of the current status of playground safety in the midwestern region of Turkey: an effort to provide a safe environment for children
1Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey
2Military Hospital, Isparta, Turkey
3Department of Research and Application Hospital, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey
Uskun E, Kişioğlu AN, Altay T, Çıkınlar R, Kocakaya A. Assessment of the current status of playground safety in the midwestern region of Turkey: an effort to provide a safe environment for children. Turk J Pediatr 2008; 50: 559-565.

This study aimed to identify and evaluate the degree of conformity to the playground standards and the level of compliance with current safety specifications of the playgrounds in the midwestern region of Turkey.

An observational technique was used at a total of 57 public playgrounds. A playground safety control form was prepared based on the United States National Program for Playground Safety and the Consumer Product Safety Commission security standards, since there is no national law covering playground equipment and safety in Turkey. The study evaluated the surroundings of the playground, arrangement of equipment in the playground, and characteristics of the equipment. The percentage of playgrounds surveyed with inadequate or hard surfacing was 80.7%. Fifty-two percent of the equipment was found to be inappropriate. Equipment was higher than the recommended heights.

The results of our study unfortunately point out that playgrounds for children do not meet many of the safety criteria. Keywords : playground equipment safety, children’s safety

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