Park slides can provide immeasurable joy for children (and some adults). And aside from scorching your bare legs on a slide that has been sitting out in the sun, they aren’t supposed to result in any pain. Yet some playground slides are being recalled after two children lost their fingers.
Playworld Systems and the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of 1,300 Lightning Slides, manufactured by Horizon Industries, after determining that the stainless steel equipment may contain a broken weld linked to the injuries.
The slides — which come in single and double width — contain welds on both sides that attach the bedway (the piece you sit on) to the sides.
According to Playworld, the weld between the slide bedway and sidewall can crack and separate. If this occurs, a child’s fingers can get caught in the space, posing an amputation hazard.
In all, Playworld says it is aware of 13 incidents of broken welds, including two children who have suffered finger amputations.
The slides were primarily sold to parks, schools, and municipalities from Nov. 2000 to Oct. 2016.
Playworld urges consumers not to use the slides until a free replacement slide is installed by the company. In the meantime, the company will ship a temporary barrier to prevent children from using the slide.
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist