A Winnipeg school has banned students from wearing winter scarves while on schoolyard playground equipment following a Calgary incident that saw a young girl choked when her scarf got caught on a set of monkey bars.
Parents of students at Winnipeg's Oakenwald Elementary School say they were informed of the policy change last week.
"I just won't put them in a scarf, I'll put them in neck warmers," parent Sandy Bridge told CTV Winnipeg on Tuesday. "They're more practical anyways."
The Pembina Trails School Division said the decision to ban winter scarves on play structures follows a recommendation from the Manitoba School Board Association that suggests the use of neck warmers, or neck tubes, instead of scarves. The association also suggests that if scarves are worn on the playground, they should be tucked into jackets.
Rick Fast, a spokesperson for Pembina Trails School Division, told CTVNews.ca that schools are constantly re-examining safety issues and the Calgary incident "heightened our awareness of the issue."
Earlier this month, a six-year-old Calgary girl was rushed to Alberta Children's Hospital after her scarf became stuck on the monkey bars in the school playground, leaving her unconscious.
