Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 22, 2023 12:39 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative G. Roni Green |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Playground Safety Act |
| It is estimated that 15 children die each year due to unsafe playground equipment, along with another 200,000 children that visit the emergency room every year due to injuries sustained from playground equipment. Playground equipment and surfacing can reach high temperatures leading children to be exposed to UV radiation and intense sun resulting in sunburns and thermal burns. Discouragement due to uncomfortable and unsafe playground conditions has the potential to cause children to experience long term health consequences such as obesity and depression. Children should not be discouraged from being active due to unsafe playgrounds and playground equipment. Playgrounds are a hub for child play, fun for families, and a place for communities to come together. For this reason, I plan to introduce legislation that would require the Department of Community and Economic Development to adopt regulations that would establish safety standards for the design, installation, and maintenance of all playgrounds operated by Pennsylvania as well as public, private, and charter elementary and secondary schools, and approved child-care facilities. This legislation would require those operating a playground area to conduct a comprehensive safety audit and hazard analysis of every play area and piece of play equipment designed, constructed, and owned. Moreover, this legislation would also establish a Statewide Advisory Council on Playground Safety to give recommendations for the implementation and enforcement of regulations, standards, recommendations for the statewide systemic inspection of playgrounds and creation of safety plan models. Please consider joining me and co-sponsoring this much needed legislation that would promote safe playgrounds and protect our children all throughout the state. |
Introduced as HB1443