economist sunsuntribune community saturday aug 28 2004 playground equipment safety questioned crown mouldings ceiling makeovers 536 children injured by chris traber staff writer playground safety has come under fire once again after statistics show 536 york region children were sent to hospi tal after playground mishaps in 2002- 03 of those visits by children from birth to age nine 28 were admitted but there were no fatalities york region health services public health nurse michelle johnson said our focus is injury prevention and education within the community said ms johnson a health services injury prevention team member the rnpst important thing parents must do is supervise children at playgrounds and know the capabilities of their child children should only be allowed on age appropriate equipment and should not be allowed to play while wearing neck laces scarves or clothing with draw strings staff photomike barrett york regions health department inspects public playground equipment if theres a problem we close part or all of the playground playgrounds are potentially more dangerous in winter she warned when surfaces freeze parents and kids have to exercise extra caution ms johnson said surfaces are slippery and kids should wear neck warmers instead of scarves second only to cycling misadven tures some 28500 canadian youths under 20 are treated for playground- related injuries annually falls are the most common injury however of the 18 canadian children who died from playground injuries between 1982 and 1999 as reported by safe kids canada 17 were by strangulation york region health services health protection division manager joseph mancuso is responsible for the play ground safety program his department inspects and tests 155 daycare play grounds in york region we look at two categories critical and noncritical he said within the critical category we inspect for entan glement head and neck entrapment points and pinch shear and crush points and ensure there are sufficient protection surfaces if theres a problem we close part or all of the playground and can issue an order under the health protection and promotion act supervision and common sense are the best safeguards against playground injuries mr mancuso said before children play its recom mended parents look around for sharp objects protrusions and animal matter he said adding its important to make sure all railings and protective coverings are in place parents and caregivers shouldnt dis courage children from using play grounds instead children should be encouraged to leam the rules of play ground safety ms johnson said home play equipment is not exempt manufacturers recommended instructions for installation and usage must be followed inspect equipment for detached parts splintered wood and frayed ropes a recent study conducted by the canadian institute for health research advised most of the 8698 reported play ground injuries in ontario last year involved youngsters between the ages of five and nine in 590 cases the injury required at least one night in hospital playground safety guidelines are available from the keeping yorkids safe program at 1-800-361- 5653 and on line at wwwsafekidscanadaca reasures fashions 202 ale yes your vision is perfect and so are our prices were celebrating 20 years b i o 2qpff ntew fa i if w o until sept 6 save hio jl c off all new fall arrivals save an additional 2t o off all drastically reduced fashion items aay 159 main st unionville hurryin sale ends labour day l of course were open 7 days a week until 530 or call for an appointment 905 4774077 5 crown moulding from 495 lin ft 7 crown moulding from 595 lin ft crown moulding by plasterworks fr 895 ft yes you can replace builders stucco ceilings ceiling makeovers from s2so sq ft baseboard casing upgrades panels pot lights installed from 14900 ea financing available oac tkatcfc locally manufactured and professionally installed 9056690505 toll free 1866869trim 8746 wwwcanadiantrimca moving york movingyou i yrt moving york pv et on oard york region transit yrt is bringing service to your town c yrt is pleased to introduce route 9 stouffville to the whitchurchstouffville community the route 9 can get you to work school and everywhere in between i the yrt route 9 stouffville starts september 7 20041 route 9 stouffville get your tickets at candlelight memories tea room 6198 main st stouffville apfood stores x12majnststouffvo yrt iwikdwimmikt movwgmitk the route 9 can connect you to yrt routes across the region locally the route 9 can get you to markharh stouffville hospital stouffville go station parkview centreeastern gate stouffville district high school and more for more information call local 9057622100 toll free i866moveyrt 6683978 tty teletypewriters local 9058815167 toll free 18662767478 wwwyorkregioritransitcom the regional municipality of york notice of public information centre york regional sewer use bylaw no s5792155 update the regional municipality of york is updating its sewer use bylaw the proposed bylaw contains new limits prohibitions and conditions to better protect sanitary sewers and the receiving sewage treatment plants from discharges from commercial and industrial sites environmental trends changes and issues are acknowledged in the proposed bylaw to ensure it is a relevant and effective regulatory document interested parties are invited to attend a public information centre to be held date wednesday september 12004 time 300 pm to 800 pm location seminar room at york regional administration centre 17250 yonge street newmarket ontario at this information centre information regarding the importance of updating the existing bylaw will be presented comments or concerns will be received at the public information centre until septembers 2004 to obtain additional information or if you are unable to attend the public information centre and wish to provide your comments please contact mr dean rurak peng manager operations support regional municipality of york transportation and works dept water wastewater branch 17250 yonge street box 147 newmarket ontario l3y6z1 phone 877 4649675 ext 5159 fax 905 8306927 gum sit