The list of playground equipment that's been banned keeps growing, and those animal swings and spring riders were probably never a good idea. The spinning merry-go-rounds, monkey bars, rings, metal slides and slide racers, rocket climbers, jungle gyms, giant strides and see saws are others that are no longer considered safe or allowed to be installed on playgrounds. Really tall swings and slides adjacent to concrete or asphalt surfaces were never a safe combination, and it's a good thing they're banned and no longer allowed. 

The fact is children will use playground equipment in unintended ways, because it's part of being a kid. Looking at playground injury statistics is rather sobering, so making the time to research everything, so the best educated decisions can be made about playground safety planning is time and energy well invested with tremendous positive ramifications and results. 

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can significantly alter and limit a child's future potential, which may be a result of a blow to the head that causes a concussion, and repeated concussions can have long lasting effects from which those injured may never fully recover. This is why the 390 HIC threshold for under age 4 toddlers, 570 HIC for ages 4 & 5 and 700 HIC for ages 6 through adult are really where the playground fall safety standards ought to be on any playground.

Don't allow yourself to be fooled by someone who doesn't know the well established data that supports this, and is widely accepted worldwide. Ignorance is no excuse for not accepting facts, it just means that lack of information, or access to misinformation or disinformation, doesn't allow for an educated decision to be possible. It's always wise to become better informed so it'e more likely to make the best choices.