Úrazy děti na hřištích

The article offers available information on children playground injuries. Each year in the Czech Republic 30 000 children are treated for injuries of which 9% happened in playground settings. Part of the equipment designed for the physical, mental and social development and relaxation is dangerous because of the unsuitable surface, materials and lack of the maintenance. The place, mechanisms, time and the risk factors for playground injuries are discussed with the intention to point out intervention possibilities. The most common injuries on playgrounds such as fractures and head injuries are caused by falls from equipment, collisions with equipment and conflicts among children. Supervision is also often underestimated and this leads to serious injuries. The total amount of these injuries is probably much higher, because the majority of injuries which occurred on playgrounds, is not admitted to hospital. The EU standards on playground safety were accepted in the Czech Republic in 1999 but the implementation is still delayed.