Posts Tagged ‘Playground Equipment’
Thursday, October 7th, 2010
There’s been a problem at 3 schools in San Francisco — too many kids are getting hurt. Six kids in less than three weeks fell off the brand new playgrounds and broke bones. So school officials closed down the playgrounds to investigate.
8-year-old Lucas Fortune was one of the kids who fell off the new play structure at his Novato elementary school and he said it hurt worse than usual. He broke his arm.
Another child dislocated her shoulder, then the next day, another child broke his arm. So what is going on? Perhaps the playground equipment is too high from the ground. Or, officials wonder if the playgrounds are too crowded. They also plan to train staff on playground safety.
We believe there’s a better solution to preventing injuries on playgrounds — one not brought up in the article. It’s the playground surface. Having a safe surface like rubber mulch prevents injuries and protects kids. Kids are going to fall but they don’t have to break bones or get hurt.
Instead, all playgrounds should install rubber mulch like the first family at the White house did. Here’s a feature story (video) about playground safety and rubber mulch.
Tags: playground, Playground Equipment, rubber mulch, San Francisco
Posted in Playground Kid Safety, playground mulch, playground safety | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
The playground at Guilderland Elementary School in Albany New York had dirt below all the equipment. Why is that a problem? Dirt isn’t a soft surface. When kids fall off the playground (as they often do) they are more likely to get hurt.
So the school decided to take action. Last week they held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the re-opening of the playground. What changed? They added rubber mulch.
The school got a $50,000 grant in 2007 to enhance the exiting playground, and meet the growning needs of the community.
The new playground is handicap and wheelchair accessible and “rubber mulch chips were also used to make it safer for kids.” Unfortunately the picture of the playground doesn’t show the new rubber mulch, but hopefully you can picture it. We used a picture from another playground that chose blue rubber mulch to give you an idea.
See: http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story/New-playground-unveiled-in-Guilderland/weXNDqJ6BEWdzVk3pJf-xw.cspx?rss=39
Tags: Albany New York, playground, Playground Equipment, rubber mulch
Posted in playground mulch, playground safety | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
A neighborhood playground in Buffalo New York has a problem. First a work crew came to remove the slide and the seesaw. They had been told by the city to remove the children’s playground equipment.
Why?
The equipment is about 10 years old. The problem? lead contamination. A child who had been playing at the playground had higher levels of lead. It could be traced back to property across the street, which was designated a Superfund site.
Common Council President David Franczyk said, “The area near a teeter totter where there’s a lead that didn’t have to be removed but was lower than the amount we had to close down the park, should be capped with either wood chips or rubber or mat, you know, just filled up and covered up.”
Neighbors weren’t happy to see the change – the neighborhood was happy to see an abandoned lot turned into a playground. The city plans to add wood chips or rubber mulch.
The best news? Officials are confident they can salvage that slide and seesaw.
See more at: http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/buffalo/Playground-may-have-been-contaminated
Tags: playground, Playground Equipment
Posted in playground mulch, playground safety | No Comments »
Monday, September 13th, 2010
A playground in Edwardsville, Illionois is upgrading their playground surface. The new rubber mulch surface will provide a safer place for kids to play.
With the playground at Glik Park temporarily closed, crews work to remove old mulch that surrounded the playground equipment Tuesday. With a PEP Grant (Park Enhancement Program) from Madison County, the city of Edwardsville was able to make improvements to the park, including the removal of the mulch to make way for a new poured rubber surface underneath. The pathway in front shows the concrete base that was poured first, with the recycled rubber surface on top. Weather permitting to allow crews to finish the work, the playground should re-open within a few days.
Source: http://www.theintelligencer.com/articles/2010/09/08/local_news/doc4c87c021f3205542495676.txt
Tags: playground, Playground Equipment, rubber mulch
Posted in playground mulch, Playgrounds | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010
The rubber mulch can work well to prevent cuts and bruises, but Phillips said accidents on the concrete area have been minimal because playground equipment is not placed on the harder surface.
We don’t usually talk about concrete being a bad idea for playgrounds, but in this case it’s an additional surface. The Early Learning Center in Effingham, Illinois got some new concrete around the playground area.
It helps kids peddle tricycles or ride scooters and a place for them to line up after recess. Before they had to fit in-between the playground equipment. Usually concrete and playgrounds don’t mix but this is for the outer perimeter. While concrete is not a good mix for underneath swings or places where kids can fall – it can be ideal for other parts of the playground.
Congrats to The Early Learning Center on their new playground! See: http://effinghamdailynews.com/local/x752937437/A-dream-come-true
Tags: playground, Playground Equipment, rubber mulch
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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
“We selected the rubber mulch instead which is six inches deep but also if you step in it you have a bounce.”
A new playground in North Carolina was made with kids who have disabilities in mind. ECU’s Child Development Lab built the playground. The group partnered with play ground equipment maker Little Tikes Commerical.
The playground features a platform where a child can be transferred from a wheelchair onto the platform and, if they can crawl, up some equipment and down the slide.
More about their selection of rubber mulch:
“I have a disabled son, physically disabled son that can’t walk, so it’s cushion for him to be able to crawl around and play and enjoy himself,” said Candice Little, mother of twins who will be attending the new daycare and playground.
The team is taking their design to other communities. See: http://www2.wnct.com/news/2010/aug/25/new-playground-geared-toward-children-disabilities-ar-348734/
Tags: North Carolina, playground, Playground Equipment, rubber mulch
Posted in playground mulch | No Comments »
Monday, July 5th, 2010
The Louisville city council in Ohio is holding a meeting to discuss what to do about a playground that needs an upgrade. The Magical Rainbow Playground is getting older and the city manager says it’s time to start planning for the future. They want to set aside money to make needed changes.
The playground was constructed in 1998, the playground complex was donated to the city by a group of citizens. It hasn’t been maintained as well as some hoped. Who’s responsible? That’s also up for debate.
This brings up an issue that is critical right now. States are already stretched thin on budgets. However, existing playgrounds and parks need to be safe – and that costs money. We’ve seen a lot of citizen involvement but it’s also an issue for cities – because the cost usually runs in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We propose, along with this city, that whenever you build a new playground you consider the long-term implications. Will you have to replace the ground cover every year or so? Who will do the labor and who will buy the materials? Is it better to spend up front on something like rubber playground surface that costs more initially but has lasts for years? These are questions to consider.
This nonprofit has some great programs to help plan and build playgrounds.
Does your playground need an upgrade too?
Tags: Mulch, playground, Playground Equipment
Posted in playground safety, Playgrounds | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
Several months ago the Lambertville Parks and Recreation Commission in Central New Jersey decided this year they will focus their attention primarily on safety and maintenance issues at area parks. This is instead of other programs that are usually offered but which have been cut because of budget concerns. When money is tight states are focusing in on the most important aspects of their job. In this case it’s keeping children safe at playgrounds.
Last month volunteers improved the Cavallo Park playground, near the canal towpath. They installed a large amount of rubber mulch at the playground. The rubber mulch was donated by Sunny Day Preschool in Stockton.
”Speaking for myself and not each and every member of the commission, my sincere hope in an ideal world would be that the city could offer a vibrant summer program as well as well-maintained, safe, well-equipped parks and upgraded equipment for everyone’s use and enjoyment,” said the commission chairman Robert Garrenger.
Tags: Mulch, New Jersey, playground, Playground Equipment
Posted in playground mulch, playground safety | No Comments »
Monday, June 14th, 2010
We encourage kids to get outside and get exercise this summer – but to be safe while on the playground. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends these tips for playground safety:
- Always supervise children on play equipment to make sure they are safe.
- Purchase playground equipment that meets the latest safety standards.
- To help cushion falls which are common injuries on playgrounds, maintain at least 9 inches of protective surfacing, including shredded/recycled rubber, wood chips, wood mulch (non-CCA treated), sand or pea gravel under and around playground equipment.
- Check that protective surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. For swings, extend protective surfacing in front and back of the swing, twice the height of the suspending bar.
- Repair sharp points or edges on equipment. Replace missing hardware and close “S” hooks that can cause injuries.
We hope that you have a safe and fun summer at the playground!
Tags: Mulch, playground, Playground Equipment, Safety standards, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Posted in playground mulch, playground safety, rubber mulch | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010
A playground in Texas is getting too hot – even though the summer heat isn’t in full force. Main Street Garden and its tot lot opened in November and there are already complaints from parents. The play equipment is getting too hot to touch.
A stainless steel climbing wall and bouncing globes have already reached a temperature of 138 degrees on a kitchen thermometer. The bouncing globes were already 131 degrees.
The plastic or rubber playground equipment was not as hot but still above 100 degrees. Equipment at most of the city’s playgrounds is made of plastic, which can get very hot but not to the extreme temperatures of polished steel. So what to do? They are talking of coating it with a rubbery material that will not conduct heat so quickly. Or, they could shade the park.
In the meantime the city is posting signs to warn parents and children of the heat hazard.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website warns parents to be careful of hot playground equipment, particularly metal equipment. It can cause burns in a matter of seconds.
Playground safety is an important issue – which is why we advocate a safe playground surface like rubber mulch. Some playgrounds have literally caught on fire because the wood chips have combusted.
Tags: playground, Playground Equipment, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Posted in Playground Kid Safety, playground mulch, playground safety | No Comments »
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