Myles, Louise, Eagers, Jackie, Turner, Denise, Smith, Moira, McGuckin, Teneale, Salata, Karen, Jones, Tamra, and Franklin, Richard Charles (2026) Playground safety: working towards consistency to rate playgrounds. Injury Prevention. (In Press)

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Abstract

Background Despite efforts to improve playground safety, injuries persist. Parents and carers (caregivers) have a responsibility for ensuring the safety of their children while fostering opportunities for growth and development. Ensuring caregivers choose safe and age-appropriate playgrounds helps to reduce the likelihood of injuries and ensures an enjoyable experience. This study sought to use a publicly available checklist to review the safety of playgrounds to assist caregivers in making informed decisions around how safe a playground is for their children.

Methods The KidSafe Playground checklist was used to review playground safety within Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The checklist explores areas such as fall heights, loose-fill materials, clearance zones, equipment design hazards, structural integrity, age appropriateness, environmental safety, supervision and accessibility.

Results 11 playgrounds were audited as part of the pilot process. However, a lack of consistency between auditors was evident on four question items, and one question item was unable to be accurately answered due to the requirement for specialised equipment.

Discussion and conclusions Given the challenges in consistently and accurately applying the checklist, it is proposed that a playground rating system to support caregivers to make informed decisions about playground safety and suitability be developed.

Item ID:	91331
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1475-5785
Copyright Information:	© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.
Date Deposited:	30 Apr 2026 23:48
FoR Codes:	42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4206 Public health > 420604 Injury prevention @ 100%
SEO Codes:	20 HEALTH > 2004 Public health (excl. specific population health) > 200408 Injury prevention and control @ 100%
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