danneel park presentation 6 2007

Danneel Park New Orleans, LA

Julie Quinn, Senator

Marshall Page and Murray Nelson

Friends of Danneel Park

June 2007

National Safe Kids Campaign Statistics on Playground Injuries

• Playground injuries are the leading cause of injury to children ages 5 to 14 in schools.

• One-third of playground equipment-related deaths occur on public playgrounds.

• 75% of playground equipment-related injuries occur on public playgrounds.

National Safe Kids Campaign

Statistics on Playground Injuries

• 56% of the deaths result from strangulation resulting from entanglement.

• 70% of playground equipment-related injuries involve falls to the surface.

• 40% of playground injuries occur during the months of May, June, and September.

St. Charles Avenue

District 98

Main Entrance #1 from St. Charles Ave.Main Entrance #1 from St. Charles Ave.

Entrance #2 from St. Charles Ave.

(Octavia St. Side)

The Gate

St. Charles Avenue

Not to Code

This playground is seen by thousands of tourists every year as they tour St. Charles Avenue…Does Danneel Park fairly represent our city’s commitment

to our children?

Katrina

Damage

St. Charles Avenue

Octavia Street

Unsafe Swing

Metal Slides Gets Extremely Hot and Burns Children’s Legs on Sunny Days

The Cement Under the Swings

The Area Where the Shelter Use to Be

Clear Opening onto Octavia Street

The Protective Covering for the 1-3 Year Old Play Area

Bench #1

Bench #2

Leaks Constantly

New Orleans (Spring 2002) Playground Survey

• The survey done by the U.S. PIRG and the Consumer Federation of America showed hazardous conditions in all 18 of the New Orleans parks surveyed.

• These results were compared to 1,037 playgrounds surveyed nationally.

TOPIC

18 N.O. Playgrounds

1037 National Playgrounds

Lacks Protective Surface 61% 75%

Inadequate Fall Zone (climbers and slides)

33% 28%

Inadequate Fall Zone (swings) 50% 30%

Chipping or peeling paint 78% 46%

Swings Attached to Other Equipment

25% 6%

Spacing between Swings Less than 24 Inches

33% 14%

In New Orleans, The Survey Found

• 60% of the playgrounds studied lacked protective surfacing under play areas.

• Half of the playgrounds surveyed didn't have large enough fall areas for children on swings.

• Paint on swings, park benches and slides is peeling in more than 78% of the parks surveyed -- meaning children could be exposed to arsenic and other toxins if lead-based paints were used.

Think of What We Can Do!

Cushioned Pavement – No Maintenance

Rebuilding for a Stronger New Orleans

Starts with Our Children

Sources

• http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/ciplaws.htm• http://www.uni.edu/playground/• http://www.ulm.edu/kinesiology/Spr2004playgrou

nd.html• “Unsafe play spots threaten children N.O.'s

aging parks especially hazardous” Times - Picayune - New Orleans, La. Sarah M. Broom, June 21, 2002.