Backyard Playground Safety - Part 3: Inspection and Upkeep Through the Years

Ensuring the safety of backyard playgrounds is a significant concern when we plan and construct a backyard playground for our kids and their friends

. Equally as important, though, is the attention we pay to playground safety over time. Playground safety should remain a concern throughout the duration of the playground equipment's use. Regular inspection and upkeep of the entire playground space is important for making sure that children stay safe over years of active play. By following the guidelines for inspection and maintenance presented in this article, you can increase the safety of your playground equipment, protective playground surface, and the surrounding area, and lessen the possibility of injuries. Over time, the safety of backyard playground equipment can be weakened by harsh weather conditions and active play. Frequent inspections of the playground equipment and the condition of each part will lower the possibility of injuries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that the preventative actions that follow be taken to ensure the safety of your backyard playground equipment: Test for any loose nuts and bolts twice a month and tighten as needed. Replace hardware that is damaged or worn or that has protrusions or projections. Apply oil to moving metal parts as directed by the manufacturer. Check to be sure that protective caps and plugs that cover bolt ends and ends of tubing are in place and tight. Inspect twice a month and replace as needed. Check the condition of the equipment, looking for signs of wear and tear such as broken or missing parts, bent pipes or tubing, and splintering or decaying wooden surfaces. Inspect swing seats, ropes, chains, and cables monthly for deterioration and replace as needed. Clean, sand, and repaint rusted areas with a non-lead-based paint. Additionally, sandboxes should be checked regularly for insects, debris, and dangers such as sharp rocks, sticks, or broken glass. Sandboxes should be covered when not in use to keep animals from contaminating the sand. The amount of upkeep needed for protective playground surfaces will depend on the type of surface you have chosen. Loose-fill surface materials like wood chips, shredded bark mulch, pea gravel, play sand, and recycled rubber mulch require regular raking, and sometimes tilling, to remove rubbish, loosen compacted areas, and level the surface. Also, maintaining the proper depth of your protective playground surface means adding more material to your existing surface once or twice each year. Synthetic protective playground surfaces like rubber tiles, rubber mats, and poured-in-place surfaces often require less maintenance than loose-fill surface materials, but they should be checked frequently. Look for gouges, burns, or loosened areas, and repair them as needed. Additionally, sand, rocks, leaves, or other loose material should be swept from the protective surface routinely to lessen the possibility of slipping hazards. The area surrounding your backyard playground can become just as dangerous as the equipment and the protective playground surface if routine upkeep is not performed. Keep the area free of litter and any objects that may cause injuries, such as fallen tree limbs, sharp sticks, large rocks, and yard tools. In addition, proper drainage should be maintained to prevent water from collecting on and around the protective playground surface. Frequently moist or wet areas can be potential slipping hazards as well as inviting environments for fungus, mold, and other bacteria. To sum up, make it a priority to take a few minutes every week to inspect your home playground equipment, protective surface, and surrounding area for possible safety issues. Doing so can greatly improve safety conditions for the children who enjoy your backyard playground. Keeping kids safe is paramount, and no measure is too great to assure their well being during their explorative and developmental play. Backyard playground safety is too important to allow any avoidable risk to go undetected. Sources: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Document #323. "Home Playground Safety Tips." U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Document #324. "Outdoor Home Playground Safety Handbook." 2005.

Backyard Playground Safety - Part 3: Inspection and Upkeep Through the Years

By: trey collier

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