Safety Standards For a Safe Playground

 

Playgrounds are an important part of a child's development and provide the opportunity for children to learn, explore and gain confidence in their surroundings. However, playgrounds can also be a danger to kids if they are not designed and maintained properly.

A safe playground must be a well-designed and installed area that is physically strong, able to support the weight of children playing on it, and free from hazards such as falling rocks, trees or broken glass. It must also be accessible to all children, and it should have enough space for all participants to move freely about the play area.

The safety of playground equipment should be evaluated regularly to ensure that it is structurally sound, that the surfaces beneath it are in good condition and that the equipment is in compliance with standards. Some of the safety standards that playgrounds must meet include:

– Surface: Make 안전놀이터 sure playground surfaces are made of at least 12 inches of impact-absorbing material, such as wood chips, mulch or safety-tested rubber, and that protective ground surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from playground equipment.

-- - Spacing: Equipment with moving parts should be spaced at least 9 feet apart.

— - Climbing: Preschoolers and school-aged children should have guardrails or barriers on platforms that are higher than 20 inches.

— - Swings: For infants and toddlers, swings should not be made of wood or metal, and the swing surfacing, in the back and front, should extend twice as high as the suspending bar.

Children are prone to falls and other injuries on playground equipment, especially when they are climbing or using swings, slides or climbing structures that are higher than 30 inches off the ground. The severity of injuries increases as children climb more, so it is recommended that playgrounds have guardrails and barriers for all levels of the playground (especially those used by preschoolers).

- Spacing: For older children, play structures that are higher than 30 inches off the floor should be at least 9 feet apart.

**** The ANSI standard for playground surfacing is ANSI/APSP 108-2006, which requires that the surfacing be free of sharp points and edges. It is also required that the surfacing be smooth, level and even.

The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association, or IPEMA, has a product certification program that evaluates playground equipment and surfacing to verify that they meet specific safety standards. It offers qualifying manufacturers a seal to prove that the equipment and surfacing meet those standards.

Many of the most common playground safety problems can be avoided with a little planning and supervision. In addition to the aforementioned safety features, schools, communities and other organizations can collaborate to design a playground layout that is suitable for all children of a variety of ages and abilities. They can also implement age-appropriate rules for safe play, remove visual barriers and position adults to allow optimum visibility, as well as establish policies for clothing, restrictions and sharing of safe play between students and parents.