SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Recess is fun, but it isn’t always safe.
A new study by the Utah Department of Health found about 5,100 elementary school students were injured on school playgrounds in the state over three years.
The annual average over that time - about 1,700 students a year - was enough to fill 24 school buses.
Nearly two-thirds of students in kindergarten through sixth grade who experienced injuries at school from mid-2012 to mid-2015 were hurt on the playground, the report said.
Most of the injuries resulted from clumsiness or children using playground equipment in ways other than the designer intended. Fifth-graders suffered more playground injuries than any other grade, making up about 17 percent of all those hurt.
The Utah Department of Health has tracked school playground injuries for more than 30 years, said Hillary Campbell, a student-injury reporting technician for the department.
“We want our kids to have fun and be active,” Campbell told The Salt Lake Tribune (Tribune (https://tinyurl.com/lgk8thg). “But just make sure you’re aware of these things so you can step in before something escalates with students or your own children.”
The top playground injuries, by far, were bone fractures or possible fractures, accounting for 50.2 percent of all injuries.
Cuts or lacerations made up 14 percent, while bumps, bruises and contusions were about 9 percent of the total, the report said.
Most common activities leading to injuries were playing on bars, 26.5 percent; running, 23.5 percent; and walking, at 6 percent.
The study drew only on injuries reported to the department that were severe enough for the student to miss at least half a day of school or warrant medical attention.
Reporting injuries at school is voluntary, but Campbell said more than 800 schools participate.
___
Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, https://www.sltrib.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.