PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY
16 Jan 2012
Whether set in a municipal park, at a school or in a residential yard, playground equipment should be fun. However, playground equipment must also be safe.
Whether set in a municipal park, at a school or in a residential yard, playground equipment should be fun. After all, this is going to be a place where children play and relax. However, playground equipment must also be safe. There are numerous safety considerations to make when creating a play area for children, and if you do not take the proper precautions, you can find that injuries are common and that even serious injuries can happen. What should you know?
Supervision
One of the most important safety considerations when dealing with playground equipment of any sort is that children playing on the equipment are supervised. Whether that supervision comes from teachers or parents, it’s vital that there is someone there to supervise. To help facilitate supervision, you might consider designing a shaded seating area for parents, teachers and other guardians so that they can sit and still supervise the children at play.
Fall Surfacing
Falls are going to happen – it’s an inescapable fact. No matter how many precautions you take with playground equipment, you cannot prevent falls. However, there are things that you can do to help ensure that those falls don’t lead to serious injuries. Fall surfacing under and around playground equipment is an essential consideration. Rubberized surfacing products are available, or you can use sand to cushion falls. All surfacing should be inspected periodically to ensure that it is still in good repair, as well.
Age Appropriate
Another important consideration when dealing with playground equipment safety is that the playground equipment used be age appropriate. Obviously, toddlers are going to have little use for “monkey bars”, while older kids will likely have little use for a sandbox. Make sure that you create an age appropriate playground environment to help ensure that all ages have something appropriate for their size and capabilities.
Maintenance
All types of playground equipment will need periodic maintenance to ensure safety. For instance, if you use a wooden playground structure, it will need to be maintained against weathering and aging. Metal playground equipment will need to be protected from rust. Cleaning, maintaining and repairing (or removing) damaged equipment are all important considerations where child safety is concerned.
As you can see, there are numerous safety considerations that need to be made with playground equipment, no matter the scale or location of your play area. Give kids a safe place to play and be happy.
