3 O.C. Parks Included in Hazard List : Safety: Group says playgrounds can be dangerous for children. Study cites 46 facilities in state contain risks that should be corrected.

California playgrounds can be hazardous to children, according to activists who claimed on Thursday that virtually all the playgrounds checked, including three in Orange County posed some kind of threat.

At a San Francisco news conference, the California Public Interest Research group said that a study revealed that 46 playgrounds around the state contained hazards that should be corrected. In Orange County, the group cited Allen Park in Fountain Valley and Orchard Park and Northwood Community Park in Irvine.

The study said that the Orange County parks had inadequate surfacing and “fall zones” to prevent injury from playground equipment. In addition, the Irvine parks had playground equipment that allowed children’s heads to be trapped.

Patricia Fierro, Irvine’s manager for community services who oversees park planning and maintenance, said the report came as a surprise and that the city had never been contacted by the research group.

“We’ve worked real hard to make sure our playgrounds are safe,” Fierro said. “We’ve won numerous awards.” The city also has “followed safety guidelines by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,” she said.

Orchard Park was developed following all existing guidelines, Fierro said.

Northwood Community Park “was built much earlier in the city’s history,” she said, “at a time when we were permitting our architects to have a little more creative opportunities in the development of playground equipment. Now we purchase (equipment) out of catalogues.”

At Northwood, known to children as ‘Castle Park,’ and other, older parks, “we have made modifications for safety,” Fierro said. “We try to minimize the dangers.”

Laura McGourty of the research group said, “Public playgrounds can be wonderful places for children to have fun and face new challenges, but far too many playgrounds contain hidden hazards that can injure and even kill.”

The investigation hit on hazards that cause the most serious playground injuries: falls, impact with moving swings, and head entrapment.

Protective surfacing under and around all play equipment is the most critical factor, McGourty told reporters. All but two of the 46 playgrounds investigated lack adequate protective surfacing.

Wood chips, sand, any loose fill is good, providing it’s between nine and 12 inches deep, she said.

Rubber mats take impact well, McGourty said, adding that they have another plus. Broken glass, used syringes and other items that became buried in sand can be spotted on the mats.

“We don’t want parents to be paranoid about bringing their children to the playgrounds,” said McGourty. “We just want people to know about it and, as well, the park personnel to know that these playgrounds do have hazards that can actually injure our children.”