 | Roger Stitt
is the owner/operator of Rainbow Play Systems located at 502 W Lincoln in Wichita. He has been involved in children's play equipment for 8 years. With quality always being his top priority, Roger takes pride in his products. You can reach Roger at (316) 264-4411 or swing in and play! |
Playground Safety
2004-07-01 09:50:00
Should I pave underneath?
ANSWER: Paying close attention to the ground surface underneath your play equipment is important not only for aesthetics, but for safety as well. All surface materials on, under, or near playground equipment need to be maintained regularly, covering all appropriate areas, especially the fall zones. Although more pleasing to eye, concrete, asphalt, and blacktop are unsafe and unacceptable. Neither are grass, soil, and packed-earth surfaces because their shock-absorbing ability is affected by weather and wear.A proper playground surface is one of the most important factors in reducing injuries, or severity of injuries, due to falls. The surface under playground equipment must be both soft and thick enough to absorb the shock of the falls.Acceptable surfaces are loosely filled with materials like wood chips, mulch, sand, pea gravel, or shredded rubber. These surfaces help to cushion most falls. Surfacing mats made of safety-tested, rubber-like materials may also be used. Surface materials must be at least 9-12 inches deep and must not be packed down because this will lessen any cushioning effect.The playground surface should be free of standing water and debris that could cause a child to trip and fall, such as rocks, tree stumps, and tree roots. The best surfaces to allow anyone in a wheelchair to access a playground are wood chips and rubber mats.Surface materials on any playground need to cover appropriate-sized fall zones (the areas surrounding any equipment where children could possibly fall.) Fall zones recommended by the NPPS (National Program for Playground Safety) include:• Climbing equipment: a minimum of 6 ft. in every direction.• Slides: am minimum of 6 ft. in every direction-and adding 4 ft. to the height of the slide gives a good estimate as to how much surfacing should be beyond the exit slope of the slide.• Swings: in front and back, two times the height of the swing set, and 6 ft. on either side of the swing set support beams.• Swings should be made of rubber or canvas, not wood or metal, and there should be:• At least 8 in. between suspended swings.• At least an 8-inch clearance between the ground and underside of swing seat.
