Fewer injuries on new playground equipment: study

Playground injuries have dropped by half at Toronto schools that replaced outdated equipment, a new study says.

In 2000, the Toronto District School Board removed playground equipment from dozens of schools amid concerns that it did not meet safety guidelines set by the Canadian Standards Association.

Since then, says study author Dr. Andrew Howard, injuries have dropped by 49 per cent at the 86 elementary schools where statistics were collected.

"What we found is that removal and replacement of playground equipment to make playgrounds compliant with CSA standards makes a much safer play space for children," he said.

Howard credits the new equipment with preventing 550 injuries, such as broken bones and swollen elbows, in the first year after it was installed.