As you already know, there is nothing more exciting and thrilling for a child than going to a playground, especially since it provides them with access to a wide range of structures that they can climb and explore. However, when parents take their kids to a public playground, they expect that every structure is secure since otherwise, it can lead to some serious injuries.
So, why is it important that all structures comply with safety standards and regulations? Luckily for all individuals that are looking for an answer to this question, our article can help. Here is why it’s important that every new and old playground complies with safety standards and regulations:
1. It Can And Will Make The Area Suitable For Kids
All playgrounds need to provide a safe environment for children. But, according to various reports that were published in the last few years, there are over 150.000 children that get injured in such areas annually, as well as approximately 15 to 20 children that die due to playground-related injuries. The reality? These injuries could have been prevented if the structures complied with protection regulations and standards.
Yes, it’s true that the equipment found on these sites is designed to be durable, strong, and long-lasting, however, just like everything else around us, the equipment can break down eventually, causing safety hazards for thousands of kids. The only method for ensuring that the equipment remains secure is by maintaining the area frequently and properly, which is, of course, one of the things most states require.
2. It Can Prevent Minor And Some Serious, Life-Threatening Injuries
As we mentioned at the beginning of our article, over 150.000 kids end up in the ER due to injuries that occurred on playgrounds. You should know, this number is most likely higher, however, a lot of parents don’t report these injuries for various reasons. Hence, when a construction company follows all the standards and practices, these injuries can be prevented, mostly because they ensure that everything is secure for being used.
For example, designers nowadays focus on creating equipment that has round edges – instead of sharp ones – so that they can ensure that the children don’t hurt themselves while running around. Additionally, it’s a requirement that the surface underneath the structures is soft, so that it can lessen the impact of falls. Safety nets are also a must for high structures, mostly because they can catch a child that might have climbed over the barrier.
3. It Ensures The Use of Suitable And Hazard-Free Materials
In the past, slides, swing sets, as well as other equipment were constructed from metal materials, however, this has led to various injuries. Today, most organizations such as Moduplay recommend the use of safer materials such as plastics. Of course, it needs to be durable and strong so that it can last for a long time, nonetheless, plastic swing seats and slides have proven to be more suitable and more reliable than metal ones.
Besides these benefits, metal can easily get extremely hot during the summer, which won’t only make it uncomfortable for the children to use the equipment, but it can also cause minor burns. Also, metal can easily cause skin irritations, because of the paint used. Because the safety standards and regulations require the use of plastic materials over metal, the security and well-being of kids are ensured.
4. Tripping + Insect Protection
There can be various tripping hazards around the area where children recreate, and since kids constantly run around, they could end up tripping, falling, and injuring themselves. However, these tripping hazards can be completely avoided by properly and frequently inspecting the grounds around the equipment. This means that there should be no hard surfaces, large stones, uneven pathways, tree trunks, and bumpy sidewalks.
Additionally, there could be a wide range of insects nesting around the area. For instance, there has been a situation where a boy found a beehive and when he moved it, hundreds of bees started attacking him and other children in the area, which resulted in a lot of ER visits. The protection rules and regulations entail frequent inspections for beehives and other nesting areas for insects so that such situations can be completely avoided.
5. It Guarantees That It’s Age-Appropriate
Children that are in the age group from 3 to 5 cannot really climb a structure that has two floors. This means that there is a wide range of playgrounds, all of which can be categorized to suit the needs of different age ranges. Hence, no matter why you’re reading this article, one of the most important things that need to be ensured is that the playgrounds are suitable for specific age groups. For instance, preschool playgrounds need to be separated from the ones older kids can use.
Also, every single plaything that is higher than 20 inches needs to have guardrails so that it can prevent kids from falling down and if the structures feature more than two floors, safety nets are required. All of these things will be ensured by inspectors that’ll come and see whether or not it complies with all the laws and regulations, so, by ensuring these things before the inspections take place, you can make the entire process easier – and cheaper – for yourself.
6. Protection From Legal Issues
Lastly, you should know that parents could end up getting into a legal battle with you – if you’re, of course, the builder of the playground – if their kid gets injured while on the playground you constructed. If you comply with all the requirements and laws, you can avoid such uncomfortable and daunting situations, which basically means that you’ll do everything in your power to keep children protected while they’re running around.
Conclusion
If there is one thing that you must take away from this article, it’s the fact that every single playground out there needs to comply with the safety standards and regulations imposed by different states and countries. By doing so, playground-related injuries can be entirely prevented, ensuring that kids have an amazing time outdoors.
Hence, if you’re planning on constructing a playground in your backyard or in your local community, one of the most important things that you must ensure is that you follow every single safety law, regulation, and standard, mostly because it’ll help you pass various inspections, and more importantly, it’ll help you keep children safe.
