Parents today are looking for secure options when it comes to their children, and playground safety can become an issue for them. They might investigate their neighbourhood play area and find materials they feel are hazardous, or they could see older structures that are rickety due to weathering. All of these can create issues when their children are at play, and they often work with their community to alleviate them. It might be simply an issue of replacing a few structures within the area, or it might be best to tear down the entire playground and rebuild it from scratch. There are good ways to do it so today’s children can play and still remain safe.
Materials Check
A few years ago, it was found that many of the structures common to playgrounds for children could be made with chemicals detrimental to their future health. A materials check of any playground should be done every few years, and parents should ask local community leaders to ensure it is done on a regular basis. Even if inert materials are used in building the structures, weathering and environmental conditions might combine to create a hazard. Keeping up with the information should be done by professionals, so taking the time to consult them could be a good way to ensure children will remain safe. With the current trend of being environmentally friendly, adding recycled materials like recycled glass could also be a popular option.
Tearing It Down
Some playgrounds today have been around for decades, and the structures children climb upon might no longer be considered safe. They could be rickety, or wooden components might have weathered enough to create the hazard of getting splinters. While these are painful and not always considered dangerous, a splinter that is not removed correctly can become infected. Avoiding these hazards could mean tearing it down to the base elements and rebuilding the playground. It could be a lot of money and work, but many communities have chosen to do it so their children can play in safety.
A Good Foundation
There are many areas of playgrounds where grass is allowed to grow, but any structures where children can climb above their height should have a good foundation. It should be set into the ground deep enough so the structure on top will not fall over, and footings can be an excellent way to ensure safety. Those made with the right mix of Portland cement, small aggregates and fine silica sand from a speciality company like Minerals Marketing can help ensure a child will not ride a piece of playground equipment down to the ground where it can injure them.
Modern life requires adults to be proactive when it comes to any place a child might play, and they often take this duty seriously. Playgrounds can be professionally designed to provide the most fun with the least hazards, but time and weathering can create conditions that should be alleviated. Building an entirely new playground might not be necessary if dangerous elements are removed, but all of them should rest on a good foundation. For those play areas that have not been checked for hazardous conditions, asking local authorities to make the effort on a regular basis could be the best possible safety factor for many years into the future.
