Last year, it was reported that there were 174 serious accidents resulting in deaths and fractures at playgrounds and other children's play facilities. The incidents occurred most frequently in April, primarily in dwellings such as apartment complexes.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced the analysis results of serious accidents involving children's play facilities on the 28th.
Children's play facilities are indoor or outdoor playgrounds equipped with swings, slides, etc. According to related laws, the entities managing these places are required to report to local governments such as cities, counties, and districts in the event of 9 types of serious accidents.
The 9 types of serious accidents include deaths, fractures, second-degree burns or higher, nerve, muscle or tendon injuries, and internal organ damage.
Such serious accidents that occurred at play facilities last year totaled 174.
Accidents mainly occurred from March to June. The numbers were single digits in January and February, when the weather was cold and activity was low, but surged to 17 in March as it warmed up. The month with the most incidents was April (31 cases). May (22 cases) and June (23 cases) also had more than 20 cases.
The most common type of injury resulting from these accidents was fractures, accounting for 78%. Additionally, falls represented 66% of the types of accidents.
The cause of the accidents was predominantly user negligence, with 94% resulting from two people using the swing simultaneously or climbing slides backward.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to share the findings of this analysis with related agencies for use as educational materials. Additionally, during the school season, safety inspections will also be conducted at a total of 6,500 locations, including schools and playgrounds in residential areas.
Hwang Gi-yeon, the director of the prevention policy bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "Most playground safety accidents occur due to user negligence," and urged facility managers and parents to actively guide and manage children to use play facilities safely.