Adults urged not to use kids' playground slides

A 24-year-old woman suffered injuries to her head, shoulders and calf, after being thrown out of one of the 23m-long, 9m-tall slides at Admiralty Park. Her adult sister also suffered bruises on her feet. All play equipment at the park has been certi
A 24-year-old woman suffered injuries to her head, shoulders and calf, after being thrown out of one of the 23m-long, 9m-tall slides at Admiralty Park. Her adult sister also suffered bruises on her feet. All play equipment at the park has been certified by a third-party playground safety inspector. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

If you are an adult, you should not be on playground slides meant for children aged five to 12.

This was the advice given by the National Parks Board (NParks) and playground contractor Semec Enterprise, after safety concerns were raised by parkgoers over a new pair of steep slides at Admiralty Park.

On Tuesday, Shin Min Daily News reported that a 24-year-old woman suffered injuries to her head, shoulders and calf, after being thrown out of one of the 23m-long, 9m-tall slides. Her adult sister also suffered bruises on her feet. The twin slides are among the 26 slides at Admiralty Park, which re-opened two weeks ago after a two-year facelift.

Ms Agnes Au, general manager of Semec, which supplied the playground equipment at the park, said: "The reasons why it isn't safe for adults to slide down are clear - a heavier weight will lead to a faster speed, and a bigger build is more likely to hit the sides of the slides."

All play equipment at the park has been certified by a third-party playground safety inspector, to be in line with international safety standards, she added.

Mr Chuah Hock Seong, NParks' group director of parks, said slides meant for children should be used correctly. He said there are signs and staff at the park "to provide visitors with information on how to use the equipment correctly, based on the recommended age group".

"We will continue to observe the use of the equipment and make tweaks where necessary," he said.

Billed as the largest park in northern Singapore, Admiralty Park was crowded when The Straits Times visited around 6pm on Wednesday. There were teenagers and adults using the slides in question, some with young children.

When told about the two women who had hurt themselves on the twin slides, financial adviser Bernard Lim, 28, said: "There are recommended safety guidelines, so those who are over-aged should be responsible for their own safety if they still choose to use them."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 10, 2017, with the headline Adults urged not to use kids' playground slides. Subscribe