Playground Safety: Merry Go Round

Merry go rounds are the most common type of rotating equipment found on public playgrounds. Children usually sit or stand on the platform while other children or adults push the merry-go-round to make it rotate. In addition, children often get on and off the merry go round while it is in motion.

Merry-go-rounds may present a physical safety hazard to preschool-age children who have little or no control over such products once they are in motion. Therefore, children in this age group should always be supervised when using merry-go-rounds. Following are recommendations for merry-go-rounds:

The rotating platform should be continuous and approximately circular. The difference between the minimum and maximum radii of a non-circular platform should not exceed 2.0 inches (see Figure 15). No components of the apparatus, including handgrips, should extend beyond the perimeter of the platform. The underside of the perimeter of the platform should be no less than 9 inches above the level of the protective surfacing.

There should not be any accessible shearing or crushing mechanisms in the undercarriage of the equipment. The rotating platform of a merry-go-round should not have any sharp edges. The surface of the platform should be continuous with no openings between the axis and the periphery that permit a rod having a diameter of 5/16 inch to penetrate completely through the surface.

A means should be provided to limit the peripheral speed of rotation to a maximum of 13 ft/sec.

Merry-go-round platforms should not be provided with an oscillatory (up and down) motion.

source: http://www.cpsc.gov

If your child was severely injured from playing on a merry go round, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills and pain and suffering if the equipment is not up to code. For a free playground accident lawsuit case evaluation, fill out the simple form below and your case will be reviewed within 24 hours.

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