subject:
Playground equipment safety
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AstudydonebytheCanadianInstituteforHealthInformationfoundthat
commercialplaygroundequipments
injurieswereresponsiblefor23visitsadaytoemergencyroomsinOntario,Canada.Thelargestproportionofthesevisitswerefororthopedicandheadinjuries(51%and22%respectively.)IntheUnitedStates,approximately200,000emergencyroomvisitsoccureachyearbecauseofaccidentsoncommercialandresidentialplaygrounds.
IntheUnitedStatestheConsumerProductSafetyCommissionandtheAmericanNationalStandardsInstitutehavecreatedaStandardizedDocumentandTrainingSystemforcertificationofPlaygroundSafetyInspectors.Theseregulationsarenationwideandprovideabasisforsafeplaygroundinstallationandmaintenancepractices.ASTMF1487-07dealswithspecificrequirementsregardingissuessuchasplaygroundlayout,usezones,andvarioustestcriteriafordeterminingplaygroundsafety.ASTMF2373coverspublicusecommercialplaygroundequipmentsforchildren6-24monthsold.ThisinformationcanbeappliedeffectivelyonlybyatrainedC.P.S.I.ANationalListingofTrainedPlaygroundSafetyInspectorsisavailableformanystates.ACertifiedPlaygroundSafetyInspector(CPSI)isacareerthatwasdevelopedbytheNationalPlaygroundSafetyInstitute(NPSI)andisrecognizednationallybytheNationalRecreationandParkAssociationorN.R.P.A.(SomeinformationsourcesofferinteractiveexamplesofplaygroundequipmentthatviolatesCPSCguidelines.)
EuropeanStandardsEN1177specifiestherequirementsforsurfacesusedinplaygrounds.Foreachmaterialtypeandheightofequipmentitspecifiesaminimumdepthofmaterialrequired.EN1176coversplaygroundequipmentstandards.IntheUK,playgroundinspectorscansittheexaminationsoftheRegisterofPlayInspectorsInternationalatthethreerequiredlevels-routine,operationalandannual.Annualinspectorsareabletoundertakethepost-installationinspectionsrecommendedbyEN1176.
Theriskaversionofprioritisingsafetyaboveotherfactors,suchascostordevelopmentalbenefittotheusers,isoftenforgotten.Itisimportantthanchildrengraduallydeveloptheskillofriskassessment,andacompletelysafeenvironmentdoesnotallowthat.Aplayscapeorforestkindergartenarestepstowardsabalancedapproachtorisk.[citationneeded]
Playground equipment safety
By: chinaqsh
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