PLAYGROUND INJURY
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Parents question safety of popular play area KATHERINE TWEED
errington eight-year-old Holly Thorpe came home to her mother one day with her finger so severely cut that her bone was visible and though her injuries were consistent with a severe accident, it happened when she fell over at a local playground. The incident happened at Thornton playground in North Penrith last month and has sparked a discussion among local parents, who are questioning the safety of the play area. “Her finger was scraped down to the bone; she could see her own bone. Obviously that causes an 8-year-old girl a lot of distress,” said Holly’s mum, Sara Ryk. “I understand that kids get hurt but when it is in a public play area that is supposed to be safe, it is disappointing.” Holly’s injury occurred when she slipped in a fountain adjacent to the play park and had her finger caught in a drainage grate. The fountain, which is full of children on a hot day, is surrounded by just a small retaining wall and Ms Ryk said that there is no signage to suggest that it isn’t a playfountain and that it is easily accessible by children. What is of the most concern to the local
mum is that Holly’s injury is not the only one that has occurred in the fountain and play area. Parents are saying that there have been a string of incidents that have left children with horrifying injuries, from grazes to cuts needing stitches and even head injuries. “The potential for much larger injury is concerning. I have spoken to another parent whose child slipped and hit his head very hard. Are we going to end up with a child dying from serious head injuries?” Ms Ryk said. “When you are talking about a play area, child safety should be paramount.” Ms Ryk said that she would not feel safe to take her daughter there again until the facility was made safer, so that not so many children would slip over in the water. Despite the concerns of parents, UrbanGrowth NSW has said that the playground is very popular and has received lots of positive feedback since its inception. UrbanGrowth NSW Development Director, Mike Williams said that the issue of the safety of children in the water play area is being addressed. “We want to make the playground as safe as it can be and ensure children can play safely in the water play area,” he said this week.
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Sara Ryk with her daughter Holly. Inset: The injury Holly suffered at the playground
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Friday 9 January 2015 the western weekender
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