“Dangerous playground equipment” 10,000 units Why? December 13 21:03

Park playground equipment for children to play.
Do you know that playground equipment that has been made in the past and does not meet safety standards is still used today?
As a result of interviews with NHK, we found that there is at least about 10,000 “dangerous playground equipment” used in parks nationwide even after it was found that there was a risk of serious accidents.
On the other hand, there is a voice from parents who wants to use playground equipment as much as possible. Difficult challenges are highlighted.
(Playground equipment reporter reporter Hiroko Suzuki, Marie Sasa, Ken Megita, Aya Noda)

Abandoned “dangerous playground equipment”

October. At a park in Iijima-machi, Nagano Prefecture, a rotating playground equipment suddenly collapsed and seven elementary school students who were playing were injured.
The rotating shaft broke from the root.

The town received a report that the equipment should be banned until repairs are complete, as this playground equipment has a structural problem in the regular inspection in January.
However, the playground equipment was used as it was without taking any measures.

The person in charge of the town “Because I was not aware of the indications from the inspection company that there was a structural risk, and I was not progressing with deterioration, I thought I should do repairs in the plan for the next year.”

No way my child ...

“My daughter came home with a lot of blood in her face, and I thought she was in an accident.

I was able to hear from a mother (46) from Nagaokakyo, Kyoto, who was injured by the eldest daughter in the park.
Seven years ago, when a 3-year-old daughter went to a park near her grandfather. When the girl was playing on the slide, she stumbled on something and fell down. In addition, a large stone buried in the ground was partially exposed near the slide, and his face was struck against the stone.
The girl was injured by sewing four needles on the forehead.

When I asked the girl, “Do you have a memory when you got hurt?” “I remember somehow that the forehead was hit by a hard object. I was talking. Although the girl's memory is not clear, the scars still existed on the forehead.

The mother said, “I thought,“ I think my child is. ”It was good because it was n’t so serious, but I was scared if I had a serious accident.”

Both can be dangerous to the structure

In response to this accident, Nagaokakyo City removed the foundation of the slide that had been exposed from the ground and a large stone near it.
The city decided that it was impossible to deny the possibility of stumbling on the exposed slide foundation, although the cause of the child's fall was unclear.
The common points of the two accidents that occurred in Nagano and Kyoto prefectures are that the playground equipment is not “deteriorated” or “deteriorated”, and it is not dangerous for the user to see. It is possible that there was a danger.

With "dangerous playground equipment"

The “Japan Park Facility Industry Association (JPFA)” created by playground equipment manufacturers, etc., created “Standards for Playground Equipment Safety” in 2002.

This is a "dangerous playground equipment" that has been checked with "standard diagnosis" to see the shape and structure of the playground equipment, etc. I thought.

For example, it was pointed out that “handrail” and “stairs” are dangerous for this slide.
In both cases, the neck could be caught in the gap, and it was possible that the situation would be hovering.
The foundation part is exposed to concrete, which may cause serious injury, such as hitting your head.
Playground equipment that was made before 2002 and does not meet this safety standard is still being used in parks.

Person in charge of the Japan Park Facility Industry Association “Thorough measures such as strengthening inspections to ensure the safety of playground equipment and repairing / removing when the dangers are known, such as at workshops attended by local government officials I want to continue calling on you. ''

133 in 12 years

How many accidents with playground equipment are happening?
The municipality that manages the park so that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism reports the summary of accidents that killed people who were playing with playground equipment in the park, or were injured for more than 30 days, or could result in such injuries. Looking for.
NHK filed a request for disclosure of information to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and analyzed the contents of all accidents reported to the country since FY2007.
As a result, we found that a total of 133 accidents occurred in 37 prefectures nationwide during the 12 years until last year.

▽ Death accident: 1 case In 2008, a girl in the second grade of elementary school who played with a swing accidentally fell in a park in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. The pedestal that came back hit the head and died. ▽ Injury: 76 people were seriously injured, including broken bones and severed fingers.

Details of the accident ▽ Accidents caused by the fallen or broken playground equipment: 52 cases (about 40%)
▽ Accidents that caused injury by hitting exposed bolts and nails, and hitting parts of the concrete against the foundation of concrete: 9 cases

Person in charge of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism “Because there is an accident that seems to be caused by insufficient inspection, we will instruct the inspection to be performed reliably, and the local government will remove or renovate dangerous playground equipment I want to support expenses and prevent accidents. "

Independent survey by local governments nationwide

How many "dangerous playground equipment" are there in the whole country?
Since last year, the law has mandated that the playground equipment of city parks managed by the national and local governments be checked once a year.
NHK conducted a questionnaire survey on the results of inspecting playground equipment in 106 local governments from September to October, including the locations of prefectural governments, core cities, ordinance-designated cities, and 23 wards of Tokyo. Total answers.

As a result, 67 local governments inspected the structural safety based on the standards of industry associations, out of a total of about 90,000 playground equipment, more than 15,300, or 17% It was found that there was a risk of an accident leading to danger or serious injury.
In addition, approximately 10,000 of these, or 66%, continued to be used.
With such playground equipment, there was a risk that the child's neck could be caught in a gap such as a railing on the slide, or that the head might be hit hard when the concrete foundation was exposed from the ground and dropped with a horizontal bar.
We asked 39 local governments that had continued to use the reason in multiple answers.

“Considering user convenience”: 26 local governments “Budget measures are difficult”: 21 local governments “How to respond” has not been determined: 5 local governments “No obligation to prohibit use”: 3 local governments

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism stated in the guidelines for ensuring the safety of playground equipment given to local governments that manage parks, etc. “Eliminate risks that could be life-threatening or cause serious or permanent obstacles as soon as possible.” It is said.
Regarding this result, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism says, “I want to take appropriate measures such as discontinuation of use and repair according to the danger.”

“Prohibited to use all at once”

In Okayama City, approximately 700 playground equipment in 465 parks were banned from March to May.
Both of them are playground equipment that has been found to be structurally and dangerous due to deterioration as a result of inspection, and it is about 40% of the total.
There were 19 parks where all playground equipment in the park was banned.
Okayama City puts user safety as the top priority and decided to ban the use from the viewpoint of preventing accidents, but there was an unexpected reaction from the residents.

Parents who use the park "The slide is no longer available in the nearby park, and my son is disappointed"
“I was surprised to find out that I could n’t use playground equipment and that it was written“ No access ”.

There was a confused voice due to the fact that many playground equipment could not be used all at once, and the fact that it was not well known.

More than half a year without use

More than half a year has passed since the ban on use, and I went around a park in Okayama city again.
As of November 22, about 60% of playground equipment has been removed and repaired.
When I heard a story in a park full of parents and children, some people came over 20 minutes by car because the playground equipment in the nearby park was not yet available.

Parents who use the park “I feel like there is no need to do so because children learn danger while playing with playground equipment.”

Continue to use at your own discretion

On the other hand, there are local governments that do not prohibit the use of all playground equipment.
In Tokyo's Nakano Ward, about 500 playground equipment was inspected last year. As a result, about 160 playground equipment, or 30%, was determined to be dangerous.

Nakano-ku thought that if the use was prohibited all at once, playground equipment could not be used for a long time until repairs were completed, which would have a major impact on the residents. Therefore, based on the daily inspections so far, we decided to continue using the playground equipment that we determined that there was little risk of an accident immediately.

For this reason, some play equipment will continue to be used until removal and repair work begins next year.
While parents who use the park have heard a relatively positive voice for the step-by-step measures, “I'm afraid to play only children with playground equipment that is invisible. Some mothers said, “I want it to be shorter.”

Residents' voice for new play equipment decision

In Nakano Ward, there was a signboard near the playground equipment that was found to be dangerous, such as “there might be a gap between the handrails and the head and torso could be pinched”, and so on. We are looking for new playground equipment candidates with photos and illustrations.

Since the investigator was dispatched to the park, it was written that he would like to hear his opinions directly. This is an effort to reflect the residents' voice in new playground equipment.
I want to aim for a safer and more accessible park.

The inspection results should be published and discussed in the area

Keiko Matsuno, representative director of “Infanto room cherry”, an organization that works to prevent playground equipment accidents, points out:

Representative Director Keiko Matsuno “Dangerous playground equipment should be removed immediately, but parents and locals have different ways of thinking about how much risk is allowed to play for their children's growth. In order to do so, the local government should publish the results of the inspection, and then the local government and the residents should decide whether to remove the playground equipment or continue using it. ''

How to play equipment safety

About 10,000 “dangerous playground equipment” found in this interview continue to be used in parks nationwide.
I feel that this is a difficult task, as it is necessary to secure a local playground while removing the danger of playground equipment.

However, what I felt through the interview was that this was hardly known among the residents. I think that the local governments are required to publicize the results of the inspections and discuss the safety of the playground equipment with the local governments.

“Dangerous playground equipment” will be described in detail in “Good morning Japan” broadcast on the 14th. We will continue to report on the safety of playground equipment.
We look forward to providing you with information.

Reporter from Takamatsu Broadcasting Station
Hiroko Suzuki

Okayama Broadcaster Reporter
Marie Sasa

Reporter, Network Press
Ken Meida

Reporter, Network Press
Aya Noda