To reduce playground accidents, schools should (1) audit their playgrounds for compliance with current safety guidelines; (2) employ a risk manager; (3) develop a safety curriculum; and (4) put more emphasis on teaching basic movement competence to students. (MLF)

One of the most frequently used legal defenses against the charge that a school employee or district has been negligent is contributory negligence. Contributory negligence means that the injured person failed to exercise the required standard of care for his own safety and, therefore, contributed to his own injury. (Author/WM)

Presented before the Section on Athletic Medicine, American College Health Association, Forty-sixth Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 1, 1968.

In 1998, an estimated 3.4 million uninsured children were of high school age. Among highly populated states, there were wide differences in the percentage of these uninsured children, ranging from 28 percent in Texas to 6 percent in Massachusetts. Ten states and the District of Columbia require high school students to have health insurance before…

Noting that 90 percent of serious playground injuries result from falls to hard surfaces, this paper reviews the advantages and disadvantages of various playground surfacing materials in terms of cost, climate, durability, aesthetics, and play value. Findings are based on the personal experience of the author, government documents, laboratory…

For this study, information was obtained about accidential injuries among children in day care centers (DCC) and family day care homes (DCH) in North Carolina. An Accident Survey Questionnaire was used to report injuries that required treatment by a staff member, doctor, or nurse. Results of data analyses showed that: (1) falls were the leading…

In the development of a school safety program, several steps are important: (1) a strong board of education policy statement; (2) the appointment of a qualified safety professional to implement and coordinate board policy; (3) an accident reporting system; (4) a school safety committee; and (5) a school safety handbook. (GC)

This article provides teachers with an overview on tort liability as it applies to their profession, especially in relation to student injuries. Such legal concepts as tort, negligence, and in loco parentis are discussed and guidelines are drawn from selected court cases. (SJL)

Discusses the goal of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the role of industrial arts teachers in helping students understand the importance of safety in industry. Four instructional approaches which industrial arts teachers may use to develop positive student attitudes toward safety are also described. (SH)

A survey, based on site visits to 206 randomly selected playgrounds in school systems in 23 states, notes numerous safety problems. The designer of more than 75 playgrounds offers guidelines that improve the safety as well as the physical fitness value of school playgrounds. (MLF)

Discusses the 1997 collapse of a balcony on a historic building at the University of Virginia, which resulted in a death and several injuries. Explores the balcony structure and cause of the collapse, any possibly preventative measures, and the resolution of legal proceedings resulting from the collapse. (EV)

Describes an epidemiology of school injuries in Utah's public schools, analyzing 1990-97 school injury data from a standardized Student Injury Report form. Results find that 85 percent of the state's 44,565 school injuries were evaluated at a medical facility. High risk students were males and students in 4th-6th grades. Contributing factors…

This booklet outlines principles of hazard control, school accident problems, and the need for guidelines and policies. Suggested general school safety policies, guidelines for courses in safety education and for the provision of facilities and supplies, policies for the administration of first aid and emergency care, and procedures for reporting…