Safety Tips When Purchasing Playground Equipment
Before you purchase any type of playground equipment, ensure the
pieces meet the safety standards and will ensure your children
are completely safe at all times. Most reputable companies or
manufacturers will be able to provide you with all the correct
specifications required to ensure the equipment is well within
the safety standards. Also, reputable companies or manufacturers
will be able to provide you with satisfactory answers to any
questions you may have regarding the safety of their sets. If
you are in the market for quality and safe playground equipment,
follow these simple safety tips:
1.) Do your research. The World Wide Web is excellent for
researching all manufacturers of playground equipment. Look to
websites like the National Program for Playground Safety or the
American Academy of Pediatrics to find a complete list of
quality manufacturers of equipment.
2.) Choose age appropriate equipment. Be sure to choose
equipment that is appropriate for the ages and sizes of your
children. If you have several different children in a wide range
of ages, consider dedicating different parts of the playground
to each child. Also, consider choosing pieces that can be
upgraded as the child ages, such as swings or rings. Ensuring
that the equipment is appropriate to the child's age will help
to prevent accidents from occurring.
3.) Correctly install all equipment. Regardless how safe the
playground equipment claims to be, improper installation can
create a dangerous situation for both children and adults. If
you are installing the equipment yourself, ensure that the
proper tools are used and that the equipment is firmly secured
to the ground. Many individuals choose to use professional
installers to assemble and install their playground equipment to
prevent any hassles and to ensure the job is done correctly.
4.) Look to soft surfaces. Every year, hundreds of children are
injured on the playground due to falls. Although the playground
equipment may be completely safe and correctly installed,
children are still capable of falling, tripping, or tumbling
onto the ground. Instead of allowing your tots to fall on a hard
concrete surface or even the slightly softer grass, install a
soft surface. These shock absorbing surfaces include shredded
rubber, pea gravel, special safety mats, wood chips, sand, or
mulch can make the difference in a trip to the emergency room
and a minor fall.
5.) Cover hardware. All playground equipment has sharp, pointy,
or hard aspects that are essential in the assembly of the set.
Choose equipment that has covers that will ensure little ones
are not cut or injured on this hardware. This is especially
essential when it comes to the s-hooks and chains that attach
swings, rings, bars, and other suspended elements.
6.) Measure ladders. Most playground equipment has a ladder of
some sort. Ensure the child cannot become trapped between the
ladder and the guardrails or between the rungs. This is critical
to prevent children from becoming stuck or seriously injured. Be
sure that spaces between guard rails or between runs should be
less than 3.5 inches or greater than nine inches.
7.) Be aware of paint. Regardless if you have a metal set or a
wooden set, most playground equipment comes with some type of
paint or protective coating. Check the makeup of the paint or
sealant to ensure the chemicals are not toxic or carcinogenic.
Furthermore, some types of pressure treated wood contains
creosote or other chemicals that are dangerous to humans of all
ages, but especially toxic to children.
8.) Constant supervision. The best way to ensure safety on any
playground equipment is to properly supervise any children while
playing. Just as you would watch your child while playing on a
set in the park, the same safety precautions should be taken in
your own backyard.