Tree House Design

A new study by the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH, finds that about 2800 chidren a year are treated in emergency rooms because of injuries suffered in tree house accidents.  The most common injuries were fractures (37%), bruises (20%), and cuts to the upper body( 20%).

The study's author, Lara McKenzie, PhD, of the hospital's Center for Injury Research and Policy, noted -- not surprisingly -- that the most serious injuries resulted from falls at great heights. "The odds of a child requiring hospitalization tripled if the fall was from higher than 10 feet, and boys and older children were the most likely to sustain falls from these heights," she said. 

Dr. McKenzie said there are no national or regional safety standards for tree houses, and she is strongly urging adoption of such standards.  Recommendations include tree house height no greater than 10 feet from the ground; a nine-inch deep protective surface such as wood mulch extending a radius of 72 inches from the tree's trunk, and solid barrier walls on the tree house at least 38 inches high. Adult supervision is also recommended.

Most of us in the design field have encountered at least a request or two for a tree house, and it might be a good idea to keep the above recommendations in mind when designing tree houses for children.  If you're designing for adults (and yes, there are some huge tree houses around), the points might be moot.

 

Comments

[philippines homes]

I reckon all of these links are useful in one way or another. Thank you for the compilation in one place and sharing them with the rest of us!.

Deirdre G

[Cheryl Corson]

There are existing ASTM safety standards for playground surfacing and public playground equipment, which homeowners can follow when building residential tree houses. These standards are for public play equipment, but cover fall height, guardrails, safety surfacing, etc. For more, see the CPSC Handbook on Public Playground Safety http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/325.pdf. Future regulation of home-made private play equipment is unlikely, though some local jurisdictions require building permits and inspections for tree houses.