Play Safety

Welcome to Play Safety

Statistics show that nationally, nearly 10% of all child injury hospitalisations are playground related. This equates to over 6,000 children being admitted to hospital each year from playground injury, with countless more children injured who do not require hospital admission. What’s more, these numbers appear to be rising.

The key safety risks for children at play that Kidsafe NT targets are:

Playground Safety
Water Safety
Trampoline Safety
Backyard Safety

Playground safety

Careful planning, design and maintenance of playgrounds and play equipment can prevent or reduce the severity of playground injuries. These factors in collaboration with supervision of children at play will ensure a safer playground for all.

How Kidsafe is your playground?
The key hazards of playground or play area safety to look out for are:

Hard surfaces under equipment.
Inadequate falling space/impact area and playground surfacing.
Lack of maintenance and repair of broken or faulty equipment.
Inadequate supervision.
Potential entrapment.
Pinch points and sharp edges.
Protrusions and tangling hazards.
High platforms without barriers.
Inappropriate use or play.
Trip hazards.
Overcrowded play areas.
Contaminated with dangerous items such as broken glass and syringes.

Want to raise playground and play area safety awareness?
For all the information you need on safe play environments, please refer to our PLAYGROUND INSPECTIONS tab or see our extensive list of playground information sheets available to download.

Water safety

Here in the Territory we have unique issues to consider when playing in and around water and waterways namely box jellyfish, crocodiles and water pipes and drains. Whether at home, camping, visiting family and friends or on holiday, it is always important to keep safety in mind when children are in or near water. Drowning is the number one cause of death for children under five. Drowning can occur quickly and quietly, without any warning noises. Sadly, on average, one child dies each week in Australia as a result of preventable drowning.

How to be Kidsafe around water:

Supervise: Keep a close watch on your child when they are in or around water, this is the most effective way to prevent drowning.
Eliminate hazards: where possible, eliminate the hazards, if there is no water there is no risk! For example, empty buckets and baths when not in use.
Environmental Measures: Fence it in - all pools must have suitable safety barriers to restrict access by young children to the immediate pool surrounds, constructed in accordance with Australian Standard AS 1926.1. Block pool and spa access with a safety cover when not in use.
Education and Skill Development: Teach children to swim and make sure you learn resuscitation - the first few minutes in an emergency can make the difference between life and death.

Water Safety Awareness Program
In a bid to reduce injury and death around our water ways, Northern Territory children under five can take advantage of this FREE NT Government initiative. Administered by the Royal Life Saving Society, in conjunction with the Northern Territory Water Safety Advisory Council, the Under 5 Water Safety Awareness program provides free water safety lessons for parents and guardians, and their children aged under five in urban, rural and remote areas of the Territory. The program consists of five sessions to develop a child’s confidence and ability in water and teach general water safety awareness and rescue techniques.

Unique Issues to the NT
Here in the Territory we have unique issues to consider when playing in and around water and waterways namely box jellyfish, crocodiles and water pipes and drains.

Box Jellyfish
Box Jelly Fish bites can be lethal and must be treated immediately. The official Box Jelly Fish season is from 1 October to 1 June. For up to date information visit the Department of Health website.

Water Pipes and Drains
Kidsafe NT is a member of the NT Water Advisory Council and has worked in conjunction with the Territory Government and the Darwin and Palmerston Councils to develop a community awareness campaign to increase awareness of the risk.

Crocodile Safety
The Northern Territory can claim the position as having the most crocodiles in our waterways than any other state or territory in Australia. With this comes the need to be Crocwise. For more information on how to be Crocwise go to the NRETAS website.

Pool Safety

Check your pool gate and fencing
Drowning is one of the leading causes of death for Australian children under 5 years of age. Between 2011-2012, 21 children aged between 0-4 years drowned in Australia – swimming pools were the most common location for drowning amongst this age group, accounting for 38% of drowning incidents.

Are your pool gates Kidsafe?

Gates that don’t self-latch or self-close.
Climbable objects in the ‘non-climbable’ zone outlined in the Australian Standards (e.g. pot plants, chairs, pool pumps near the pool fencing which could allow a child to climb over the fence).
Excess space under the fence.
Misuse (e.g. propping the pool gate open)

For more information on the Australian Standards for pool fencing visit the Northern Territory Government's pool fencing and barrier safety standards site.

backyard safety

The most common place for childhood injury is in and around the home. Many of these injuries can occur in the backyard and garden The home yard or garden area is the most common location within the home setting that children are sustaining injuries The majority of these presentations are children in the 0-4 age group. Nearly half of all backyard injuries are from falls.

Considerations:

A backyard that is safe for a twelve year old can be very unsafe for a toddler.
Fences should be well maintained and without gaps or sharp edges.
Backyard play equipment should be sturdy, strong and well-maintained. Also age appropriate.
Never leave motors of any kind switched on and unsupervised when children are around. For example lawn mowers.
Pets. Always supervise children around dogs and teach them how to safely interact with all animals.
Backyard has items such as chemicals, poisons, garden materials, tools and machinery can be dangerous for young children and must be locked away securely when not in use.
Outdoor eating often means barbeques, parties and social eating. Barbeques can be dangerous to unsupervised children.
Sun Safety. Too much sun during childhood can cause skin cancer as they get older. Make sure your kids slip, slop, slap and stay out of the sun during the hottest time of the day.
Children get injured when adults are working in the backyard. Make sure your kids are seperate from the work activities.

Trampoline safety

Trampoline Safety is flippin important! Statistics show at least eight children per day being injured on trampolines in Australia. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has teamed up with Olympian trampolinist Blake Gaudry, Kidsafe and state consumer affairs agencies to help keep kids safe on trampolines. To view the safety checklist and video developed by Kidsafe in collaboration with the ACCC click on this link.

How to make trampoline play Kidsafe:

One at a time: Ensure only one child at a time uses the trampoline.
Supervise: Supervise children at all times, regardless of age. It is recommended that children under six should not use trampolines but if they do, take extra care with younger children as they are more prone to serious injury on trampolines.
Safety padding: Use safety padding on the frame to avoid injuries if a child accidentally hits the frame.
Check condition of mats and net: Regularly check that the trampoline is in good condition and ensure that the mat and net don’t have holes, springs are intact and securely attached at both ends, frame is not bent and leg braces are securely locked.
Hazard free surrounds: Ensure that the area around the trampoline is free from hazards like walls, fences, play equipment or garden furniture. Also make sure there is an overhead clearance to avoid objects like clothes lines, trees and wires.