Is your playground safe? Find out what Playground Safety guidelines the state of California recommends here: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HEALTHINFO/INJVIOSAF/Pages/PlaygroundSafety.aspx
Is Your Playground Safe?
May 23rd, 2013Prevent Playground Injuries this Spring & Summer
April 19th, 2013As the weather gets warmer, please review these Playground Safety Tips.
Ensure there is safe surfacing beneath and surrounding all playground equipment in order to minimize the risks of falling.
- Recommended surface materials include sand, pea gravel, wood chips, mulch and shredded rubber. Rubber mats, synthetic turf and other artificial materials are also safe surfaces and require less maintenance.
- Avoid playgrounds with asphalt, concrete, grass, dirt and soil surfaces under the equipment. A fall onto a shock absorbing surface is less likely to cause a serious injury than a fall onto a hard surface.
- Surfacing should be at least 12 inches deep and extend at least 6 feet in all directions around stationary equipment. Depending on the height of the equipment, surfacing may need to extend farther than 6 feet.
- For swings, make sure that the surfacing extends, in the back and front, twice the height of the suspending bar, so if the top of the swing set is 10 feet high, the surfacing should extend 20 feet.
Make sure that all playgrounds are inspected and maintained by qualified personnel.
- Daily, monthly and annual maintenance schedules should be followed.
- Maintain separate play areas for children under age 5.
- Ensure that schools and childcare centers have age-appropriate, well-maintained playground equipment and that trained supervisors are present at all times when children are on the playground.
- If there are any hazards in a public or backyard playground, report or fix them immediately and do not allow children to use the equipment until it is safe.
- Report any playground safety hazards to the organization responsible for the site (e.g., school, park authority, city council).
Always supervise children using playground equipment. Stay where you can see and hear them.
- Prevent unsafe behaviors like pushing, shoving, crowding and inappropriate use of equipment.
- Ensure that children use age-appropriate playground equipment.
- Remove hood and neck drawstrings from all children’s outerwear. Never allow children to wear helmets, necklaces, purses, scarves or clothing with drawstrings while on playgrounds.
Source: Safekids.org (http://bit.ly/yrXNBM)
Is Your Mulch Washing Away?
February 26th, 2013
We’ve fielded many questions over the years and one question we get on a consistent basis is “Does rubber mulch wash away in heavy rain?” And the answer is…. Nope! Typical rain or even moderately heavy rain cannot lift rubber mulch chips — they are too heavy to be significantly impacted by the weather. (In fact we had reports that during Hurricane Sandy, many of our customers lost only a very small amount of rubber mulch in the flooding. ) If you are considering a safe playground surface that is cheaper in the long run, you should consider rubber mulch. We are available to answer any questions you may have. Simply call us at 888-492-7529.
Landscape Rubber Mulch = Environmentally Friendly!
February 15th, 2013If you are looking for ways to help the environment, you should consider using rubber mulch for your landscaping. Landscape Rubber Mulch is good for the environment as well as for your garden or lawn!
Here are some of the benefits:
- Easy, long-lasting and beautiful!
- Does not float/blow away
- Non toxic, odorless, minimizes dust
- Cost effective
- Reduces weed growth
- Available in a variety of rich colors
- Reduces maintenance, time and expenses
- 100% recycled rubber
- Not a food source for most insects or termites
To top it off (pun intended), no matter the weather conditions, Landscape Rubber Mulch will remain in place and retain its color for years to come – it will never decompose.
Learn more about Landscape Rubber Mulch here.
Fast Food Playgrounds
August 28th, 2012Playgrounds for children can be found in communities everywhere and in various settings, and of late, even fast-food joints have joined the trend. Major chain stores such as McDonald’s and other restaurants have built playgrounds on their premises so that children can make dinnertime into playtime, allowing them a healthy outlet and their parents a way to keep the kids occupied while eating dinner. The downside of fast food playgrounds is that restaurant employees are paid to keep the restaurant clean, not the playground. The result is playgrounds that are dirty and ill-maintained, with smashed and discarded food littering the ground and equipment.
Califronia State Assemblyman Michael Allen is addressing this little-publicized issue in an effort to keep children safe and healthy while using fast food playgrounds. Depending on whether the play areas are indoors or outdoors the playgrounds may have rubber mulch flooring. While rubber playground flooring is the gold standard in safety, crumb rubber can’t be swept, and can be hard to keep clean when food is involved. This is why rubber bond flooring is recommended for fast food playgrounds.
Rubber bond is smooth, neat, and easy to clean as children romp, play, and eat. The playground flooring also maintains that nature of traditional rubber, offering a surface that prevents injuries in children.
Assemblyman Allen is proposing a bill that would make California one of the first states to require cleanliness and safety standards in fast food playgrounds. Restaurants would be required to document a plan that would ensure a clean and safe play area, as well maintain playground equipment and forbid patrons from taking food into the play area.
Playgrounds everywhere must be kept clean and safe for children, and fast food play areas are no exception. With better laws in place children and adults alike will enjoy a safe and family-friendly experience at playgrounds everywhere.
Technology; Moving into the Future
August 3rd, 2012Smartphones have become the be all and end all in the electronics industry. Owning an IPhone is a luxury no more. As the future flies before our very eyes perhaps the biggest change has been in the way people communicate. From Twitter to Facebook, the world of conversation has changed dramatically. Smartphones are the main cause of change to the social landscape.
In this industrial gold mine two companies have emerged as the chief competitors; Apple and Samsung. This very week they took their battle to the courts with Apple claiming that Samsung violated patents it owns. Even as technology seems to pass with new replacing old every day there is one constant in this world of disposables: Earth. From the Adirondack Mountains to the Great Lakes nature abounds everywhere, and it is mankind’s job to preserve this gift of life for eternity.
The great power of technology can be harnessed for good. Promoting go green activities on twitter is one way to help Earth. Liking a greener company is another. By utilizing social platforms and other technological tools to better the planet, perhaps in some way life’s conveniences will have achieved a real purpose.
One everyday way to help the environment is by ensuring that old used tires are recycled properly. Rubber tires are constants, items that will stay around for a while, unaffected by trends and technology. Sometimes there are physical things that can be done to better the planet without the touch of a button. Recycling rubber is one great example. It causes no loss to anybody since these old tires are reused in the form of rubber mulch which has proven to be a top seller in the market. Those who shop rubber mulch products are actually doing the environment a favor, by helping to preserve its precious resources.
Olympics and the Moms of Athletes
July 24th, 2012With the London Olympics almost upon us the advertising campaigns, sponsorship, and overall corporate presence is hard to miss. Every four years large companies spend thousands of dollars in an effort to associate their ad campaigns with the Olympics, and this year, Proctor and Gamble has done a great job of doing just that.
Titled, “Thank You, Mom,” the P & G campaign was designed by Wieden and Kennedy Portland. The massive ad campaign has been launched all across the media, on the internet, tv, and in print. The ads salute moms and the sacrifices they make for their children by following the journeys of 4 Olympic stars from Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, London, and Beijing from childhood to where they are today.
The P & G ad campaign has accomplished its task by touching the hearts of many as the Olympics draw near. Moms, in particular, can identify with the ads, as they do their best to guide their children through the challenges of life.
As part of childhood every Mom tries to help their child triumph in sports and enjoy outdoor play in a safe manner. Rubberecycle supports moms by providing safe playground surfaces on which children can play, train, and strengthen their young bodies and minds.
Rubberecycle rubber mulch products are made entirely from recycled rubber, and are used primarily as playground flooring. They can also be found in the form of wear mats for gyms, rubber bond for track running, and for other uses. Rubber playground flooring has an added shock absorbency that helps prevent injuries and strengthen balance. Every child is an athlete in their own right, and rubber playground flooring helps preserve the beauty of these athletes’ play skills.
Proctor and Gamble supports Moms. So does Rubberecycle.
Wildfires Caused by Heat Wave
July 5th, 2012The recent rash of wildfires in Colorado has struck a cord in the hearts of Americans everywhere. Although no lives were lost over three hundred and fifty homes were destroyed. The fire is now seventy percent contained and slowly dying down, but the cleanup is just beginning.
The current heat wave sweeping across the nation has greatly increased the danger of a wildfire breaking out, and firefighters find it increasingly difficult to control fires in such intense heat. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides a detailed list of safety precautions that should be followed in order to prevent these blazing infernos.
A specific campaign has even been around for years warning campers, hunters, and others to help prevent fires by ensuring that all fires are completely put out before leaving. The Smokey Bear campaign is drilled into boy scouts, and all those in the forest.
The most important precaution is fuel reduction. This can mean cutting back on cigarettes, campfires, and the gathering of dry wood. One fuel material commonly overlooked is rubber mulch. Rubber mulch is very useful as playground flooring, for landscaping, and for many other uses, but it can also be a liability in the face of a fire because it burns very hot, very quickly, making it difficult to put out the fire. Proper irrigation is a safe way one can protect rubber mulch and other fire hazards.
Although rubber fuels fire, its benefits far outweigh the risks. Landfills and garbage burning plants poison planet Earth, causing damage just like wildfires, albeit on a different scale. One must look past the burnt trees and look into the atmosphere where toxic gases are continuously burning a hole in the ozone layer. With this layer gone dangerous ultra-violet rays (UV) freely hurt the environment posing a real risk of cancer to all it strikes.
Recycling is one way ordinary people can reduce the damage being done. Rubber mulch is derived from recycled rubber that would otherwise be hurting the planet. Buying wholesale rubber mulch is a great deal, and cheaper in the long run for many reasons. Besides for its durability, it also will allow life on earth to continue through proper recycling. As we pray for all those affected by the Colorado wildfires, help this planet become safer by buying recycled materials that ensure longer life and health for Earth.
Rubber and Car Racing
July 1st, 2012Summer is the season of sports, and racing is no exception. Race car drivers enjoy the heat because there is less chance of a wet track and rain-outs, but along with the heat comes the danger of burnt rubber and fires. Drivers are clad in rubber gear from top to toe that is meant to protect them from the threat of fire. They wear race pants, a fire jacket and helmet, a neck brace, and gloves. Temperatures inside all of the gear reach very high numbers, and the drivers must drink lots of water to keep their bodies hydrated.
In the racing world, rubber is a double-edged sword, providing protection in the form of gear, yet posing the threat of fires and heatstroke. Some of the most common injuries on the racetrack come in the forms of heatstroke and heat-related injury, rather than the more commonly assumed broken bones from crashes. Race car drivers owe their lives, and their livelihoods to the benefits of rubber.
Racetracks are also the place where tons and tons of rubber go to waste each year. The tracks have a residual smell of rubber, and ruined tires, gear, and other rubber paraphernalia are often left there by the wayside. The amount of rubber gone to waste offers race car drivers the perfect opportunity to give back to rubber, the substance that protects them every day.
Rather than leaving them in dumps, race car drivers should be advocates of recycling rubber, to be made into rubber mulch. Large quantities of bulk rubber mulch could be manufactured from the amount of rubber left over from racing. Recycled playground mulch serves to keep children safe while playing on the playground, and helps the environment by cleaning up landfills and extending the life of rubber.
Rubber is at the heart of racing, and as such, it is the responsibility of all those associated with the racing world to promote and recycle rubber for eco-friendly rubber mulch.
Summer Gardening Tips
June 18th, 2012With temperatures in New Jersey expected to hit the nineties this week and the heat rising across the United States, it’s important to keep all your charges healthy and happy – family, pets, and plants. With the right equipment and maintenance your plants and garden will enjoy a healthy summer in full bloom.
Mulch is a Must
Depending on your garden and gardening preferences you may prefer rubber mulch for landscaping or more old-school methods of mulching, but regardless of what you use, mulch is a must. Rubber mulch keeps soil temperature cool, reduces water evaporation and helps keep weeds in check. It also lends to the clean look of a well maintained garden. Rubber mulch can sometimes be obtained at discounted prices in bulk, but don’t scrimp; spread a generous layer of landscape mulch around your plants so that they survive the summer.
Location, Location
It’s important to put each plant in the right place in the summer, based on sun and shade requirements. The plant labels will give you all the instructions you need; follow them. Some plants can’ handle the harsh afternoon sun, and need to be planted on the north or east side of a structure where they’ll have shade in the afternoon. Read the directions on the plant label and follow them accordingly.
Watering at the Right Time
Water will most efficiently accomplish the task you want it to perform between the hours of 2:00 and 8:00 am. Set timers on your sprinklers so that they go on at the right time, and be generous, because evaporation also plays a role during the hot summer months. Drip irrigation, watering with soaker hoses or with a garden hose, is the best method for watering flowers, trees, and shrubs. Keep in mind that plants near paved surfaces, walls, and other permanent ornaments on the south or west side of the home receive more sun, and need more water.
Create Your Own Shade
Shade is a precious commodity, and if you don’t have enough of it, create some. If you live in a relatively new area where trees and plants are still new and small try alternatives such as bamboo, wisteria, folding screens, patios, and other objects that will work with the landscape while offering shade. Tall ornaments such as bamboo plants and screens also offer privacy and a natural way to cordon off different areas of the garden.
If you care for your plants well they will reward you with a beautiful garden that is thriving even in the midst of the hottest summer. With careful planning and rubber mulch you can enjoy your garden all summer long.
