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<br /> lific drawings of design objects. -
<br /> Playground hazards remain ti...
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<br /> Law By TheKnight Ridder Newspapers�����
<br /> Because 80 percent of play `
<br /> """1";2".."'-w"---
<br /> - ground injuries result from fading, _
<br /> WASHINGTON — Public play ?-. the most common and serious safe-
<br /> grounds are a favorite summer �".. ,-. t ty hazard is inadequate protective ,
<br /> hangout for kids, but hidden among ,..,:t--7„..\ : F surfacing — wood chips, sand or =fl` 3
<br /> the swings, slides and teeter-totters Ri`. < , rubber 'matting — around slides, •4,
<br /> are safety hazards that' can cause swings and climbing equipment.
<br /> injury or death. _
<br /> Safety experts recommend that pro-
<br /> A recent survey of 1,037 publictective surfaces be at least 9 inches ,'
<br /> playgrounds nationwide by two - o deep—preferably 12-and extend '
<br /> •
<br /> leading consumer groups found that 9 -6 feet beyond equipment. �. ,
<br /> 75 percent lacked adequate protec- r, Swings with hard edged seats, t
<br /> tive ground surfacing to cushion. ? 2 rather than rubber or plastic sling BEI
<br /> falls; nearly half had hazardous 4 seats, and swings that are too close
<br /> swings and 35 percent had slides 9, together are another hazard: .14 --. LONE
<br /> that were dangerously high. ! Safe playgrounds are "an impor- OWN
<br /> While playground safety is slow- • tant livability issue-as well as a ,r
<br /> ly improving nationwide, much safety issue, and it should be in the
<br /> more needs to be.done,according to . '• • r,' mix of all the things we do to make ,r
<br /> "Playing it Safe," the sixth biannu- our communities a safer and better Q1Ckea 1
<br /> al study of playground hazards by .-st
<br /> f place to live,"DeFrancesco said: FICA
<br /> the Consumer Federation of Ameri , s The nationwide playground sur- ' sa ° WI
<br /> ca and the U.S. Public Interest Re- ( '' ) vey also found that:
<br /> search Group. _ • 58 percent of those examined >_:$,„:: ,
<br /> Each year 15 to 20 children die i had climbing equipment or slides '1 a r ii
<br /> in playground accidents and about higher than 6 feet, which is higher . , ,yx _
<br /> 190,000 require treatment in hospi than necessary for play value, ac R9; •
<br /> LONE PIP
<br /> tal emergency rooms for play- - cording to the Consumer Federation f
<br /> ground injuries. By comparison, •.,,e - of America. + : ; BLUE
<br /> ' about 900 children drown annually ----"' ;,.7 rftf . . • 34 percent had hooks, chains -i::: UREE�
<br /> and 150,000 bike riders visit emer- and or other protrusions that could
<br /> gency rooms. Associated press entangle clothing. .-
<br /> `44rw When it comes to playgrounds, Faulty swings are a potential • 34 percent had openings in $ ;`
<br /> "There has been a growing aware- playground danger. equipment that could trap a child's
<br /> BEill
<br /> ness of the problem,but I still think head and lead to strangulation.
<br /> most parents don't recognize the • 14 percent had equipment
<br /> • hazards," said Susan DeFrancesco, Hopkins University in Baltimore made with pressure-treated wood `Lone P1,1
<br /> a researcher at the Center for Inju who specializes in playground that could contain chromium cop- u, _ , . .. -....
<br /> ry Research and. Policy at Johns safety. • per arsenate,a carcinogen. GARDEN FRESH
<br /> ORGANICALLY GI
<br /> •
<br /> Suit targets Cheney, Halliburton LEAF
<br /> ® Accounting: A group representing shareholders night in Miami. LETTUCE
<br /> Cheney the vicepresident and the oil firm of fraud. Messages seeking comment fromom
<br /> and the White House were
<br /> not immediately returned late YOU-I
<br /> Tuesday.
<br /> By The Associated Press The SEC has not filed any charg- "We don't believe that there's JUMBO
<br /> es against Halliburton. any'merit to this case,"Halliburton
<br /> MIAMI — A watchdog group Before 1998, the company had spokeswoman Zelma Branch said.
<br /> said Tuesday it would file a share- been more conservative, reporting The lawsuit, which is expected
<br /> holders lawsuit against Vice Presi- such revenue only after settling to be filed Wednesday in federal
<br /> dent Dick Cheney and his former with customers. court in Dallas, also names 10 of AnTipi
<br /> employer, Halliburton Co., claiming The'Washington-based group Ju- Halliburton's board members. Klay-
<br /> they engaged in accounting fraud. dicial Watch alleges those account- man said auditor Arthur Andersen
<br /> Cheney was chairman and chief ing practices resulted in the over- LLP will also be named in the lin I_II ill
<br /> executive of the oil field-services valuation of Halliburton's shares, lawsuit.
<br /> giant from 1995 to 2000. Halliburton deceiving investors. A message seeking comment ''• ;
<br /> announced on May 28 that it re- 'We're seeking actual and puni- from Arthur Andersen was not im- -.
<br /> ceived notice from the Securities tive damages for allegations of secu- mediately returned late Tuesday.
<br /> and Exchange Commission that the rities fraud, for changing account- Judicial Watch has sued for ac- f 91
<br /> commission was looking into Halli- ing practices and not advising the cess to records of the Cheney-led
<br /> burton's accounting methods — public of these changes," Judicial energy task force that drafted theil 30:
<br /> adopted in 1998—for reporting cost Watch chairman and general coup- Bush administration's energy i u•r, <,4 <,
<br /> overruns on construction jobs. sel Larry Klayman said Tuesday policy. Vc• -
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