Playgrounds encourage children to have fun experiences while learning and developing their skills. However, playground equipment with forced movements, such as spinning or sliding, can be a hazard and pose a risk to the safety of children.
One type of entrapment hazard can occur when a child’s body part or clothing becomes trapped between moving parts of the playground equipment. The risk of injury from entrapment increases when the equipment involves forced movements.
An incident in August 2023 highlights the entrapment dangers. While using a wheelchair-accessible carousel, a four-year-old child’s little toe was amputated when it was trapped in the gap between the spinning metallic platform and the stationary outer section of the carousel. Sadly, attempts to reattach the toe were unsuccessful.
WorkSafe, in conjunction with Kidsafe WA, wants to remind those accountable for operating playgrounds that they have a responsibility to help keep children safe from entrapment and other hazards.