CastCoverZ!™ Founder Provides Back to School Playground Injury Prevention Tips
San Jose, CA (PRWEB) September 06, 2013 -- Playground injuries are the leading cause of Emergency Room visits for school children aged 5 to 14. Annette Giacomazzi, Founder and CEO of CastCoverZ!™, knows that most playground injuries are preventable, “My 10 year old daughter was standing on top of a fairly new play structure and fell seven feet, hitting a piece of equipment on the way down, snapping her humerus, the large bone in her upper arm. If she had been properly supervised, her fall and fracture wouldn’t have happened. On a sidebar, it was because of that fall that CastCoverZ! was accidentally created.” CastCoverZ! is the leader in brace, splint, boot and cast covers, as well as orthopedic comfort products.
Giacomazzi encourages parents, caretakers and educators to do their own “back-to-school” education to know the facts and prevention tips to avoid accidents. According to the national organizations, SafeKidsUSA, AAOS, and the CDC, 40% of all injuries in children occur at the beginning and the end of every school year. More than one-third of all playground injuries are severe, with the child experiencing fractures, internal injuries, concussions, and dislocations. Giacomazzi says, “The facts support that playground-related injuries occur during two distinct seasons, the beginning and the end of every school year. Playground injuries are the leading cause of injury among children ages 5 to 14 in the school environment, with falls being the highest offender. Anecdotally and from a mother’s point of view, children are distracted from thinking about safety because of the excitement of the start of school or the end of school. Being safe is the farthest thing from their mind. It is the parent’s, educator’s and playground supervisor’s job to alert our children about the potential dangers of school playgrounds.”
The good news is - most playground injuries are preventable. Giacomazzi recommends the following tips to prevent avoidable injuries on the school playground:
1. Close supervision by a responsible adult may be the most important factor in preventing playground injuries.
2. Younger, smaller children play differently than older, bigger children. Ensure playgrounds have an age-appropriate, separate area for children 5 and under.
3. Look for hazards such as rusted or broken equipment and dangerous surfaces.
4. Avoid playing on non-impact absorbing surfaces, like concrete or gravel.
5. Remove hood and neck drawstrings from all childrens’ outerwear to avoid strangulation hazards.
6. Remove bike helmets before using any playground equipment.
7. Teach children proper playground behavior: no pushing, shoving or crowding.
Giacomazzi added, “There’s a general rule of thumb that if a child falls a greater height than he or she is tall, the likelihood of severe injury (concussion, stitches, fractures or worse) increases significantly. My child’s horrific fall and severe fracture could have been completely prevented.” Now is the time to add to your back-to-school list a visual check of your school’s playground and have a discussion with your children and your school’s playground supervisors about safety on the playground.
For more expert tips on the prevention of broken bones and other feel better topics for those who have experienced an injury recently, visit the CastCoverZ! Feel Better, Heal Better blog at http://blog.castcoverz.com/.
About CastCoverZ!™
CastCoverZ! is the leading global manufacturer, e-tailer and innovator of essential orthopedic soft goods (brace, splint, boot, and cast covers), patient-requested orthopedic gear and orthopedic accessories (designer colored crutches, CrutchWear®, EvenUp, waterproof products). CastCoverZ! has been featured in Yahoo!, Good Day Sacramento, Entrepreneur, Parenting Magazine, About.com, Huffington Post, Womenectics, NYTimes, Orthopedic This Week, and Newsday. CastCoverZ! products are Made-in-the-USA, ship world-wide and are available for purchase at http://www.CastCoverZ.com.
Darla Bea Smith, CastCoverZ!™, http://www.castcoverz.com/, +1 805-895-3400, [email protected]
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