Playground Safety Tips

Source

Forums

Related Articles

Home Playground Safety Tips

When you set up your home playground, be sure to follow these tips:

• Check that your back yard is large enough for playground equipment. Your site must provide good visibility and security.
  
  
• Watch out for obstacles, such as the garage, tree branches, utility poles and wires, located near the playground site before setting up the equipment.
  
  
• Be sure your child's weight and age fall within the manufacturer's recommended limits for the equipment.
  
  
• Review the manufacturer's literature: it should reference product compliance with the ASTM F1148 Safety Standard for Home Playground Equipment.
  
  
• Make sure the playground equipment is clearly visible for proper supervision.
  
  
• Read and follow the manufacturer's directions when setting up equipment.
  
  
• Check that the installation is level, well drained and anchored to meet manufacturer's specifications.
  
  
• Make sure each piece of equipment is surrounded by an adequate fall zone covered with an appropriate amount of resilient surfacing such as sand, pea gravel, or hardwood fiber/mulch.
  
  
• Check that your child is dressed appropriately for the playground- clothing with hoods or drawstrings can cause strangulation.
  
  

Public Playground Safety Tips:

• Elevated surfaces must have chest-high gaurd rails.
  
  
• Openings should be less than 3 1/2 inches or greater than 9 inches to prevent head entrapment.
  
  
• Supervise children at all times.
  
  
• Each piece of equipment must be surrounded by a minumum 6 foot fall zone covered with an appropriate amount of resilient surfacing such as sand, pea gravel, or hardwood fiber/mulch.
  
  
• Avoid strangulation hazards such as drawstrings.
  
  
• Watch for trip hazards.