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National Playground Safety Week 2016

National Playground Safety Week is an annual awareness campaign from April 25-29 in 2016. NPSW wasdeveloped by the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association as a collaborate effort within theplayground industry to improve the safety of playground equipment and educate the public on the benefits of outdoorplay. This week celebrates the innovative designs that are continually making playground equipment safer and morefun for children across the nation.

As part of NPSW, IPEMA has introduced The Play Pledge, a document parents can download and print to sign withtheir children. The pledge makes at least one hour of outside exercise and play a top priority for Americanfamilies. IPEMA also offers the Checklist for Access, which helps those responsible for maintaining public playareas understand the importance of safety. Additionally, NPSW raises awareness about the Surfacing Guide for ADACompliance. The guide discusses regulations for all playground surfaces on and around equipment, such as thehigh-quality ADA-compliant metal playgrounds offered by Component Playgrounds in Utah.

PlaygroundSafety Tips

Playground injuries are a serious problem, but most can be prevented with a few simple precautions. The easiestway to remember how to create a safe playground environment and facilitate safe play is to follow these S.A.F.E.Factors:

· Supervision: Adults should always provide adequate supervision forchildren using playgrounds.

· Age-Appropriate: Playgrounds should be age-appropriate to ensure properuse of equipment and safety.

· FallSurfacing: All playgrounds should include fall surfacing under andaround equipment to soften the impact of falls and prevent injury.

· Equipment: Within the playground, equipment should be properlymaintained to ensure safe functioning and use.

What a Safe Playground Looks Like

Safe playground equipment is just the beginning of creating a safe playground. Nearly 70 percent of all injuriesthat happen on the playground are caused by a lack of proper fall surfacing. Fall surface materials aredesigned to minimize the impact of falls and prevent contact injuries from happening. Without these protectivesurfaces, even a fall from a short distance can result in unnecessary injury.

From wooden fiber to shredded rubber, sand and pea gravel, there are a variety of fall surfacing materials that canbe used to make a playground safer. Dense and harsh materials like cement, grass and asphalt are not acceptablefor use in the playground area as they do not sufficiently absorb impact or prevent abrasions.

Another way to spot a safe playground is to look for signs of good maintenance. If playground equipment isrusted or shows other signs of deterioration, it is not being properly maintained. Properly treated metalplayground equipment resists rust and deterioration over time. Rust is not only an unsightly problem but presents therisk of serious injury as well. Rusted metal can become sharp and abrasive, and having the skin punctured by a

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rusty metal object is a leading cause of tetanus.

Safe playgrounds are also properly distributed with no more than two swings per supportstructure. Equipment such as slides should be closed at the top to prevent children from getting stuck or fromstrings attached to clothing getting caught in the opening. A safe playground also features an efficient drainagesystem to prevent the accumulation of moisture and the degradation of its materials.

Safety First With Component Playgrounds

Component Playgrounds offers a diverse selection of quality metal playground equipment for Utah residents andplayground operators to choose from. All Component Playgrounds equipment satisfies or exceeds therequirements suggested in NPSW in terms of construction, design and overall safety. These playgrounds arebuilt from galvanized steel that never bends or rusts, keeping equipment in top-performing conditions regardless ofthe weather. The staff at Component Playgrounds is happy to answer any questions you may have about theirplayground equipment by contacting us here, or by phone at 877-958-7780.

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