Playground Safety; CD M23
- 1. Playground Safety APRIL 7TH, 2014 BY NICOLE LOEHNER, KIM KAVANAGH, VALARIE SCHIELE, LETICIA VELASCO, EMILY SEMA 1
- 2. Interesting Playground Facts Each year more than 200,000 children visit hospital emergency rooms because of playground injuries. Nearly 79 percent of playground injuries are caused by falls to the ground. Swings (pieces of moving equipment) are most likely to cause injuries to children. One of the greatest dangers with slides occurs when drawstrings on children's clothes get caught at the top of the slide. 40 percent of all playground injuries are related to climbing equipment. Injuries to the head and face account for 60 percent of all injuries to 0-4 years of age. 2
- 7. s THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR AGE 5-12 (SCHOOL AGE). • THIS PORTION OF THE PLAYGROUND CONTAINS UNSTABLE EQUIPMENT. • DUE TO FAULTY WELDING, THE STRUCTURE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO COLLAPSE ON A CHILD • THIS COULD RESULT IN SEVERE INJURIES SUCH AS CUTS/BRUISES, BROKEN LIMBS AND HEAD TRAUMA. • PARK OFFICIALS HAVE DEEMED THE STRUCTURE UNSAFE AND IT HAS BEEN REPORTED. 7 Safety Concerns Playground 1
- 8. j 8 Safety – In Compliance THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR AGE 5-12 (SCHOOL AGE).. • SLIDE PLATFORM IS OVER 19 INCHES IN COMPLIANCE WITH 19 INCH GUIDELINE. IT IS COATED IN A PLASTIC COVERING PREVENTING OVER HEATING AND POTENTIAL BURNS TO SMALL CHILDREN. • SLIDE PLATFORM IS SURROUNDED BY GUARD RAILS PREVENTING FALLS. • LOWER SLIDE HAS HORIZONTAL EXIT AND HAS A SHOOT THAT IS 12 INCHES ABOVE THE UNDERLYING SAND. THE SAND IS 14 INCHES, 5 INCHES DEEPER THAN WHAT IS REQUIRED. Playground 1
- 9. 2 PLAYGROUND 2 (CHILD CARE CENTER) 9
- 10. 2 PLAYGROUND 2 (CHILD CARE CENTER) 10
- 11. 2 PLAYGROUND 2 (CHILD CARE CENTER) 11
- 12. 2 PLAYGROUND 2 (CHILD CARE CENTER) 12
- 13. Playground 2: + 13 Safety Concerns Playground 2 (Child Care Center) THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR AGE 2-5 (PRE-SCHOOL). • SOFT POUR RUBBER HAS CRACKED AND CREATED AN UNEVEN GROUND SURFACE. IT IS ALSO CRACKED WHERE THE MAT MEETS THE CONCRETE. • THE DAMAGE COULD BE DUE TO EXPOSURE TO ELEMENTS OR EXPIRED SOFT POUR THAT IS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. • THIS IS A POTENTIAL TRIPPING HAZARD AND CAN RESULT IN MINOR TO SEVERE INJURY TO CHILDREN. THE LOOSE SURFACE MATERIAL COULD ALSO BE CHOKING HAZARD.
- 14. Playground 2: + 14 Safety – In Compliance Playground 2 (Child Care Center) THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR AGE 2-5 (PRE-SCHOOL).. • THE SLIDE CONTAINS AN INCLINE OF 20 DEGREES, WITH A 11 INCH HORIZONTAL EXIT, LEVEL TO THE GROUND; ALL IN COMPLIANCE WITH SLIDE GUIDELINES • THE AREA SURROUNDING THE SLIDE CONTAINS A USE ZONE OF 3.5 FT • THE STAIRS LEADING TO THE SLIDE ARE 12 INCHES FROM THE GROUND AND CONTINUES FROM STEP TO STEP. THE GUIDELINE MAXIMUM IS 12 INCHES.
- 19. Playground 3: + 19 Safety Concerns THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR AGE 5-12 (SCHOOL AGE). • IN INSPECTING THE SUPPORTING POLE STRUCTURES, MISSING BOLTS WERE NOTED IN MULTIPLE PLACES. • MISSING BOLTS CAN LEAD TO UNSTABLE STRUCTURES LEAVING THE PLAYGROUND SUSCEPTIBLE TO COLLAPSING. THIS COULD LEAD TO SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH. • THE PLAYGROUND SURFACE CONTAINED WOOD CHIPS. AS MEASURED, THE WOOD CHIPS WERE ONLY 5 INCHES DEEP. THIS CONSTITUTES AN UNSAFE SURFACING DUE TO THE GUIDELINE MINIMUM FILL IN DEPTH OF 9 INCHES. Playground 3
- 20. Playground 3: + 20 Safety – In Compliance THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR AGE 5-12 (SCHOOL AGE). • THE SLIDE IS MADE OF NON METAL PLASTIC LIKE MATERIAL PREVENTING OVERHEATING AND BURNS. THE SLIDE ALSO CONTAINS A EXIT ZONE OF 6 FT. WHICH WILL ALLOW A CHILD ENOUGH ROOM TO EXIT THE SLIDE SAFELY WITHOUT INJURING THEMSELVES OR OTHER CHILDREN. • THE SLIDE HEIGHT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH PLAYGROUND SAFETY AND IS 5 FT. • THE STAIRS ARE COATED IN A PLASTIC COVERING AND ARE COMPLIANT WITH THE 18 INCH MAXIMUM SPACING PER STEP. EACH STEP MEASURES A TOTAL DISTANCE OF 18 INCHES Playground 3
- 24. Playground 3: + 24 Safety Concerns THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR AGE 5-12 (SCHOOL AGE). • THE SURFACING OF THE PLAYGROUND IS OF A UNITARY MATERIAL. THIS IS AN APPROVED MATERIAL FOR PLAYGROUNDS. HOWEVER, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT GROUND SURFACES ARE OF LIGHT SHADES. THIS GROUND SURFACE IS BLACK. BLACK ATTRACTS AND ABSORBS HEAT. DUE TO THIS CHILDREN ARE LEFT SUSCEPTIBLE TO BURNS FROM OVER HEATING OF THE GROUND SURFACE. • THE YELLOW ROCK LIKE CLIMBING STRUCTURE CONTAINS LARGE HOLES THAT COULD FIT A CHILD'S HEAD. THIS COULD LEAD TO HEAD ENTRAPMENT. IF A CHILD BECOMES TRAPPED IT COULD CAUSE A CHILD TO PANIC, BECOME EXTREMELY SCARED AND POSSIBLY INJURE THEMSELVES IN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE. Playground 4
- 25. Playground 3: + 25 Safety – In Compliance THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR AGE 5- 12 (SCHOOL AGE). • THE TOP SLIDE IS MADE OF A LIGHT COLORED PLASTIC, PREVENTING OVERHEATING AND POTENTIAL BURNS OF A CHILD. • THE SLIDE ALSO CONTAINS A PLATFORM THAT IS 15 INCHES; WITHIN GUIDELINE. ITS SIDE CHUTES ARE 4 INCHES ON BOTH SIDES, PREVENTING THE CHILD FROM POSSIBLY FALLING OF THE SIDE OF THE SLIDE. • THE LOWER CLIMBING STRUCTURE IS ABOUT 3 FT TALL, AND PROVIDES MULTIPLE BUMPS ALLOWING CHILDREN TO EASILY GRIP THE STRUCTURE IN ORDER TO PULL THEMSELVES UP. SINCE THE HEIGHT IS WITHIN GUIDELINE, IF A CHILD WERE TO FALL, THEY ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE GROUND SURFACE TO PREVENT SERIOUS INJURY Playground 4
- 26. Works Cited National Safety Council,. "Playground Safety Facts and Tips - Create a Safe Environment for Children to Play." Playground Safety Facts and Tips - Create a Safe Environment for Children to Play. National Safety Council, 2103. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. Dautaj, Jacqueline. "Facts on Playground Safety." LoveToKnow. Safety Awareness, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. Public Playground Safety Handbook. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2008. Print 26