Laramie, WY – Just because a playground is open to children in Wyoming doesn't mean federal safety standards have been met. A new report from the Center for Justice and Democracy points that out as President Bush is expected to sign new child safety legislation. The group's Joanne Doroshow says that, while the new laws represent progress on toy safety, they don't address playgrounds.
"You can't assume that any playground is automatically safe, because the Consumer Product Safety Commission standards are not mandatory."
Doroshow says their report explores the history of playground safety issues and finds that often lawsuits are the quickest way to improve safety. She says use of arsenic-treated wood in playgrounds is a good example.
"Litigation has helped make sure that new playgrounds are not built with arsenic-laced wood. Unfortunately, some of the older playgrounds still have it."
She says sharp edges, poorly-maintained equipment and entanglement hazards are most common. Newer playgrounds usually don't feature metal monkey bars and teeter-totters, and that has garnered criticism that "safe" playgrounds are not as much fun.
To view the full report online, visit www.centerjd.org.
Deborah Smith/Steve Powers, Public News Service - WY
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