Treehouse Related Injury Statistics

Treehouse Related Injury Statistics

Medical researchers in Ohio published statistics showing that in the US 2,800 children a year are hurt in treehouse related accidents. The injuries ranged from bruises to broken bones, but all were serious enough to send the children to the emergency room.

To put this statistic into perspective: Other research found treehouse injuries to be far less common than playground injuries, which account for about 200,000 emergency-room visits a year. And tie racks and clothes hangers sent about the same number of people (2,956) to the emergency room in 2007.

There are some simple techniques anyone can use to lessen the chance of treehouse injuries:

• Build the treehouse 10 feet or less from the ground
• Add several inches of soft mulch around the base of the treehouse as a cushion
  
• Use solid 38-inch-high barriers and guardrails
• Demonstrate the use of rope tie-ins and other safety techniques for tree climbing

And, one of the most important ways to minimize the chances of childhood injury -- whether in treehouse or anywhere else in life -- is to familiarize your kids with the idea of managing acceptable risk. This is a long-term approach to child raising with the goal of empowering kids to make informed decisions regarding their own safety and therefore be responsible for the consequences of their own actions.

Sometimes kids have to fail to learn that lesson. So, let them fall 8 feet onto soft bark mulch and get a bruise. Its a much better education than keeping them 'safely' indoors all day.

Article via Chicago Tribune