Severity of fall injuries on sand or grass in playgrounds.

Playground injuries are a major public health problem. Laboratory studies have recommended sand, pearock, synthetic materials, or wood chips as protective surfaces beneath equipment, and epidemiological studies have confirmed that hard surfaces are dangerous. However, some questions remain about grass. To compare the protection oVered by grass and sand, public and residential playgrounds need to be considered. Most sand surfaces are in public playgrounds, while grass is used mostly at home where up to 25% of accidents occur. 4 This study aimed at comparing the risk of severe injuries after a fall on sand or on grass.