FEATURE ARTICLE
Playgrounds: A Safe Place to Play
Children need a safe and creative play area for their development. Playgrounds can provide opportunities to grow and learn; however, a safe environment must also be provided.
A safe and successful playground program combines inspections with appropriate maintenance and repair. Approximately 60 – 70 percent of lawsuits are caused by some type of maintenance or repair problem. Systematically identify and determine problem areas, develop a reasonable plan of action, and assign dollars to priorities. If a park district demonstrates it has taken a reasonable approach to the development of its plan, then it may use the plan as a legal defense.
The following is an excellent checklist to identify hazards that require immediate correction:
- Protective Surfacing – The surfaces under and around play equipment should be soft enough to cushion falls. These surfaces should contain wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel. (no dirt, concrete, blacktop, asphalt, or grass)
- Fall Zones – To cushion a fall, the shock absorbing material should extend a minimum of 6 feet in all directions from stationary pieces of play equipment. In front of and behind swings, the material should extend a distance equal to twice the height of the suspending bar.
- Equipment Spacing – Play structures should be spaced at least 12 feet apart, to allow children space to circulate or fall without striking another structure. Moving pieces of equipment should be located in an area away from other play structures, so children have adequate room to pass from one play area to another.
- Catch Points and Protruding Hardware – There should be no dangerous pieces of hardware, such as protruding bolt ends, narrow gaps in metal connections or open “S” hooks at the top and bottom of swings. Exposed hardware can cut children, puncture skin or catch clothing which could strangle a child.
- Openings That Can Trap – Openings in guardrails and spaces between platforms and ladder rungs should measure less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches. Children can get trapped and strangle in openings where they can fit their bodies but not their heads through the space.
- Pinching, Crushing, Shearing, and Sharp Hazards – Equipment should not have sharp points or edges that could cut skin. Moving pieces of equipment, such as suspension bridges, track rides, merry-go-rounds or seesaws, should not have accessible moving parts that might crush or pinch a child’s finger.
- Tripping Hazards – There should be no exposed concrete footings, abrupt changes in surface elevations, tree roots, tree stumps, and rocks, which can trip children or adults.
- Guardrails For Elevated Surfaces –Areas such as platforms, ramps, and bridgeways should have guardrails to prevent falls.
- Routine Maintenance – Designate an employee to periodically inspect the play equipment as part of a preventive maintenance routine. This includes replacing missing, broken, or worn components; securing hardware; checking for deterioration in wood, metal, or plastic materials; maintaining the proper surfacing material; and cleaning up debris.
- Supervision – The play area should be designed so that adults can observe children at play.
Be proactive and concentrate on measures that will prevent accidents. Constantly improve staff training, inspection and maintenance procedures. Often park districts forget the best defense of all – stopping the accident before it occurs. Document all activities regarding playground safety.
Documentation serves several purposes. It helps communicate the program to all people. It creates a paper trail of the park district’s plan of action for playground hazards. It demonstrates that the park district is meeting its legal duty to provide safe playgrounds for public use.
By following the above recommendations, your park district should be able to provide a safe play environment and protect the community’s assets.
If you need any assistance with playground safety, please contact Loss Control at
1-800-367-4818.
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