FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - As schools let out for summer vacation, children heave a sigh of relief, no longer having to worry about grades. But there is one grade that should worry their parents, especially during these summer months.

On April 22, the National Program for Playground Safety released a report that assigned a grade of C- to Arkansas playgrounds. After evaluating play facilities in 27 states, the commission found Arkansas playgrounds below average in quality and safety. But a University of Arkansas professor says that following a few, simple precautions can help both parents and park administrators ensure the safety of our children.

"Arkansas has been pushing for playground legislation since 1994," said Dr. Merry Moiseichik. "The problem is, very few existing playgrounds meet the guidelines they want to enforce by law. What people need to realize is that, by implementing some simple safety precautions, we can have safer parks without closing down the playgrounds."

In 1997, playground accidents accounted for an estimated 228,141 emergency room visits across the nation. This represented the second most common source of injury among children, topped only by bicycle-related accidents.

According to Moiseichik, four elements can make the difference between fun and fatality on playgrounds this summer. These elements can be easily remembered by the acronym BEST, which stands for base material, equipment, supervision and training.

One of the most important measures of playground safety is having an appropriate base material, or ground covering. Base materials such as sand, loose pea gravel and wood chips serve to soften the impact if a child should fall or jump off of playground equipment. Parents and park maintenance officials should make sure that children are not playing on hard, compacted surfaces.

"Broken bones and head injuries are the biggest potential risk at playgrounds," said Moiseichik. "A proper base material doesn't stop kids from challenging themselves, but it cushions them when they make a mistake."

Another potential danger comes from the playground equipment, itself. Moiseichik encourages parents to inspect play structures - making sure that chains are free of rust, that hollow pipes are capped, that there are no sharp or splintery surfaces and that support struts such as the legs on swingsets can handle their child's weight.

In addition to checking the condition of playground equipment, Moiseichik says parents must make sure their children use the equipment properly. Through the course of her research, Moiseichik has found that parents sometimes enable their children to use equipment inappropriately - lifting toddlers to reach structures intended for older, stronger children.

Moiseichik encourages parents to recognize their child's limits. What is equally important is recognizing the limits of the equipment, she said.

"Guard rails and barriers are there to protect children from using equipment in a way that could hurt them. It is the parents' responsibility to stop their kids from climbing over these barriers and thereby putting themselves at risk," she said.

Such responsibility reflects what Moiseichik considers the most important element of playground safety - supervision. An adult should be present and attentive at all times on the playground.

"Don't sit there and read or get distracted talking to another adult," said Moiseichik. "Get out there and play with your children. Watch them, guide them, help them. No single precaution goes further toward preventing injury than simply being alert."

Finally, Moiseichik recommends that all park maintenance officials be trained and certified according to specific layout and equipment guidelines. The implementation of such guidelines can greatly increase playground safety, but Moiseichik cautions against making such guidelines mandatory for all parks.

In 1994, Moiseichik completed her own nationwide survey of playground safety and quality. She presented her results to the National Society for Legal Aspects of Physical Activities and Sports.

"What I found was that the best playgrounds in the nation were located in states where a common set of guidelines was enforced for the construction of all new parks while older parks were renovated and maintained according to slightly less rigorous standards," she said.

"The worst playgrounds existed in states where all parks were supposed to meet rigorous guidelines. Since most parks couldn't meet these guidelines, they ignored them. If Arkansas passes and enforces equally strict guidelines, playgrounds will be closed left and right for not meeting the common standard. And what happens then? Kids end up playing in the street."

Such failures must serve as examples as Arkansas considers legislation in playground safety, Moiseichik asserted.

"Until then, we'll just do our best with better playground design and increased supervision and training," she said.

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