Thousands of kids are injured on playground equipment each year. Many of these injuries could be prevented by following safety guidelines and implementing routine inspections. Look for softer surfaces that can absorb impact, like wood mulch, chips, sand and shredded rubber. Avoid hard surfaces, like asphalt and concrete. Also check for tripping hazards, such as exposed concrete footings, tree stumps and roots.
Safety Surfaces
The ground or “safety-surface” is one of the most important parts of a playground. Kids take big risks and fall hard — especially while on equipment. The right safety surface will absorb those falls and prevent injuries from becoming serious. Protective ground surfacing should be at least 12 inches of wood chips, mulch, sand or safety-tested rubber. It should extend 6 feet in all directions around play equipment and be free of gaps or openings that could trap children.
Poured in place rubber offers a solid, durable surface that can be customized to any space or theme while meeting critical fall height requirements. Poured in place surfaces also offer an industry-leading shock attenuation. Bonded rubber is another popular inclusive choice that uses clean, shredded recycled rubber to create an environmentally responsible, highly durable surface. This material is a bit more expensive but requires very little maintenance.
Supervision
Playgrounds offer great benefits for kids’ physical, social and thinking development. While most playground injuries are minor, there are still risks that need to be considered. Age-appropriate equipment, appropriate layouts, safe ground surfaces and adequate maintenance are important in keeping children 안전놀이터. However, they won’t prevent all injuries unless focused supervision is provided.
Supervision is a complex matter that depends on the context and culture of the organisation. It’s essential that strategic managers and leaders understand what good supervision looks like and support supervisors to deliver it. This also includes understanding how to keep adults safe, especially when they’re overseeing a group of children or teens. This can include ensuring that they don’t wear clothing with drawstrings and avoid playing with metal equipment during peak sun exposure times.
Equipment
The equipment in a playground should be designed with safety in mind. It should be made from durable, rounded safe materials like plastic and built for specific age groups. Inclusive equipment encourages children of all abilities to play together. Fall heights should be limited to prevent head injuries. Safety surfacing, including engineered wood fiber, recycled rubber mulch or poured-in-place rubber, offers better impact attenuation than hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt, which can cause severe injuries.
Make sure all protruding points and edges are padded or covered, especially on equipment that could catch or cut a child. Check for gaps and openings that could entrap clothing or jewelry, such as drawstrings from hoods. Ensure ropes are anchored securely so they cannot form loops or nooses around the neck.
Temperature
A safe playground features impact-absorbing surfaces that can cushion kids’ falls, such as sand, wood chips and shredded rubber. These surfaces and all equipment should be inspected daily for loose or missing pieces, as well as any signs of wear or damage. Kids should wear shoes instead of flip-flops or sandals to protect their feet from heat and rocks, and clothes without drawstrings that could catch on equipment.
Playgrounds should be inspected regularly even in winter, when temperatures may drop and ice can form on metal equipment. In the summer, unshaded equipment can reach temperatures that burn children. One solution is to add shade, which a study from a Texas Tech atmospheric science researcher found would significantly improve safety at playgrounds. However, few guidelines exist for inspectors to follow on this issue.
Falling
Over seventy percent of all playground injuries are from children falling off equipment onto the ground. Surfaces such as asphalt, concrete, dirt and grass do not provide adequate protection from falls. Look for a safe surface that is soft enough to cushion a fall. Surfaces that offer protection include hardwood fiber/mulch, wood chips, sand and pea gravel. The material should be at least 12 inches deep and free of standing water, debris and compacted surfaces.
Injuries also occur when children climb over or under rusty equipment. Age-appropriate equipment and protective surfacing can reduce injuries, but adult supervision is the key to safety. Injuries from unsupervised play are the greatest cause of ER visits for children 14 years and younger. In addition, unsafe environmental conditions can discourage active lifestyles.
Wrapping It Up
Children need to climb, slide and swing to build strength and coordination. But if they aren’t playing in safe environments, they can become injured or even die. Many playground injuries occur when kids fall from equipment onto hard surfaces such as asphalt, dirt or grass. Look for soft surfacing like wood fiber or mulch, sand or pea gravel around the equipment.
