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Abstract
This study was conducted to gain greater awareness and understanding of the issues and events which lead to swing accidents; in particular, to provide indices for determining preventive measures concerning swing accidents by means of analyzing accident data. A secondary objective was to find out the potential use for data collected by means of the European Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System (EHLASS)
All twelve Member States of the European Community in 1993 were asked for information on accidents involving swings recorded by EHLASS. Eight countries provided information on a total of more than 5,000 accidents. Based on this information it was concluded that every year in the European Community about 70,000 people have to be treated at an Accident and Emergency Department for an injury due to a swing, i.e. eleven victims per 10,000 children up to fifteen years of age. On average, half of the accidents involving playground equipment refer to swings. Swing accidents result in general in more severe injuries (based on the proportion of hospital admissions and fractures) than other home and leisure accidents recorded by EHLASS. Three quarters of the accidents refer to falls from a height. The location varies largely from country to country. The most common injuries are arm fractures and contusions of the head. The paper also goes into the differences noted for the countries included in the analyses. It is concluded that accidents involving swings result in severe injuries and form a serious problem, especially for children up to fifteen years of age. Many similarities between the countries were noted, except for the location of the accident. EHLASS has a considerable potential to make a substantial contribution to consumer safety in Europe