According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 200,000 American children are injured every year in playground accidents. The regrettable truth is that a lot of those injuries could have been avoided with proper playground safety. Quality park equipment and school playground equipment with the following features can go a long way towards ensuring safety.
Forgiving Ground Surfaces
Children running on slick surfaces like wet concrete is a surefire ticket to the emergency room. Fortunately, there are many playground surface options like poured-in-place rubber, engineered wood fiber, and synthetic turf that are perfect for playgrounds. Having adequate safety surfacing for playground fall heights is vital in maintaining a safe playground environment.
Adequate Perimeter Barriers
It should go without saying that the safest playgrounds are enclosed on all sides by durable fencing of some kind. Picket fences are often considered to be superior to chain-link fences since they look better and can be easily customized for specific playground layouts. Walls are another viable option as long as they’re coated with a softer material like rubber or foam.
Regular Maintenance Check-Ups
Regular playground maintenance check-ups are crucial for all play environments. Any playground, regardless of manufacturer, will wear over time. With wear often comes fragile or brittle components on the playground that may become dangerous. A regular playground maintenance check-up will reveal these potential dangers and allow for a certified playground company to rectify the potential problem.
You Get What You Pay For
As important as playground design is when it comes to ensuring safety, the quality of the materials involved matters more. From safety surfacing, to swing sets, to monkey bars, every component of your commercial playground equipment should be built to last to avoid potential injuries to young children.
