Playground Safety

1
Playground Safety

• Ed Stallard
• Certified Playground Safety Inspector
• Mesa Public Schools

2
The playground

• The place where children run, laugh, take risks
  and explore the possibilities
• The place where imagination and spontaneity rule
  the moment
• The place where play claims a major role in
  childhood development

3
Skills learned at the playground

• Agility
• Strength-building
• Self-expression
• Coordination
• Creativity
• Independence
• Social
• Sharing

4
Why playground safety?

• A child assumes that a playground is safe to play
  on
• A child assumes the risk of play
• A child is not aware of a potential hazard
  associated with that moment or act of play

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With children at play

• No hope of having an injury-free play area

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Two Primary U.S. Playground Safety Documents

• CPSC Publication
• 325, 2008Public Playground Safety Handbook
• Federal Guideline Recommendation

• ASTM F1487-07
• Standard Consumer
• Safety Performance
• Specification for
• Playground Equipment
• for Public Use
• National Voluntary Standard

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U.S. Organizations concerned with Playground
Safety

• NPSI-National Playground Safety Institute
• CPSC-Consumer Products Safety Commission
• ASTM-American Society for Testing and Materials
  International

• IPEMA- International Playground Equipment
  Manufacturers Association
• NPCAI-National Playground Contractors Association
• NPPS-National Program for Playground Safety

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So, what to look for

• Fall zones
• Obstructions
• Fatigue and wear
• Corrosion

• Age-appropriate
• Head entrapment
• Neck entrapment
• Entanglement
• Pinch-points
• Sharps
• Surfacing
• Lead Paint

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Priority 1 Hazards

• Death
• Brain Damage
• Permanent Paralysis
• Loss of Vision
• Loss of Speech
• Loss of Limb
• Organ Destruction

10
Hazard Factors

• Possibility
• Probability
• Consequences

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Playground Injury Factors

• Improper use/poor supervision
• Poor maintenance
• Inappropriate design
• Installation issues
• Site planning issues

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National Playground Safety Institute Vision

• Every playground will
• have
• A safe play
• environment
• Age appropriate
• equipment and
• activities

• Compliance with standards and guidelines
• All of this, and
• children having fun!

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Playground Safety Program

• Identify safety hazards
• Rank the hazards
• Apply knowledge
• Establish a comprehensive
• playground safety program

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Mesa Public SchoolsPlayground Safety

• Training video
• Training booklet
• Playground hip-pack