Play equipment to reach new heights
Playground safety standards are about to change in Victoria, which means the height of playground equipment is set to rise even higher.
The current maximum allowed platform height is 2.5 metres high, but this is set to rise to three metres with the new changes.
Standards Australia claims it is revising the guidelines to make playgrounds more challenging to ‘hopefully get a lot more children out outdoors, being more active’.
When it comes to play equipment, it is 'the higher the better' for thrill seeking seven-year-old Lila Singer, but mum Sarah is not as thrilled.
“I’m sure most parents have never sat in a playground looking at their child thinking, I wish that platform was higher,” Sarah said.
“It could increase the risk of the injury.”
More than 6,000 children are injured in falls from playground equipment each year, one quarter younger than four years old.
“The European Standard have had a maximum of three metres of fall height for a number of years and haven’t seen any increase in injuries as a result of that,” Jason Chambers from Kidsafe Victoria said.
“The other important thing is that if children do fall, they'll fall onto impact absorbing surfaces.”
Kidsafe recommends children in playgrounds always play under adult supervision.
