subject: How To Ensure Playset Safety? [print this page] If you own a wood playset, or are planning on purchasing one, ensure that it is built for safety. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that the material used for outdoor play sets should be natural wood. Surfaces should be smooth and safe to the touch. All bolts should be covered.
Monkey bars, swings, slides and playhouses are a common feature of adventure Parks and playgrounds. These days it can be difficult to find time to take small children to adventure playgrounds on a regular basis.
Exercise is crucial for the physical, emotional and mental development of kids. Studies show that, in the western world, life style related illnesses such as obesity and diabetes are on the increase. This is why it is even more important that today's kids engage in physical activity as often as possible, rather than sitting in front of the computer or television.
Residential wood playsets mean that you can buy and install outdoor playgrounds in your backyard relatively easily. Wood playsets include swing sets with slides, climbing frames, monkey bars and play houses. Such play sets provide hours of endless outdoor fun for kids, but when it comes to safety, some common sense rules apply.
How to Make the Wood Playset Safe?
If you own a wood playset, or are planning on purchasing one, ensure that it is built for safety. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that the material used for outdoor play sets should be natural wood. Surfaces should be smooth and safe to the touch. All bolts should be covered.
In terms of playground safety below are some common sense safety guidelines to ensure that your kids play safely.
-Adult supervision is essential to ensure the safety.
-Remove all the obstacles, including debris and toys, from the play area. There should be enough space between any landscaping and swing sets to allow enough room for the movement of the swings.
-Inspect the play set on a regular basis. Every few months is ideal. It may be advisable to inspect swings bit more regularly. All surfaces should be smooth at all times and all hardware should be secure. Any openings should be no larger than 9 inches and no smaller than 3.5 inches. This is to prevent kids from becoming stuck.
-Use at least 12 inches of sand, pea gravel, wood chips, or safety tested rubber mats to comply with Consumer Product Safety Commission recommendations for keeping your kids safe on play sets. This surfacing, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission should cover at least 6 feet around the entire playground in every direction. Almost 70 per cent of playground accidents and injuries occur because of children falling on the ground.
-Dress kids safely. For example hooded jumpers or any kind of top with strings attached is very dangerous, as are hanging necklaces, earrings or clothes with any hanging strings.
Immune System and Germs
Outdoor play can be frustrating for parents trying to keep the kids clean. While of course all parents want to keep the children safe from germs and bacteria, studies have shown that children who are allowed to play outside in the dirt early in life build up resistance to allergies and viruses better than kids who are not. Being exposed to the outside world allows kids to build a normal and healthy immune system.
It is a good idea to look for wood playsets online. Various online dealers offer lucrative discounts on playground equipment and accessories.
