Backyard playground safety is most assuredly a priority when we plan and install a backyard playground for the family and neighbors to enjoy.  Just as important, though, is the attention we pay to playground safety over time.  Playground safety should continue to be a priority for as long as the playground equipment is in use.  Regular inspection and maintenance of the play area is essential for keeping the children who use our backyard playgrounds safe through years of active play.  By following the guidelines for inspection and maintenance presented in this article, you can ensure the safety of your playground equipment, protective playground surface, and the surrounding area, and decrease the likelihood of injuries.

Playground Equipment

Over time, harsh weather conditions and active play can undermine the safety of backyard playground equipment.  Frequent inspections of the playground equipment and the condition of each component will reduce the possibility that injuries will occur.  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends the following steps for ensuring the safety of your backyard playground equipment:

• Check nuts and bolts twice a month and tighten as needed.

• Replace hardware that is worn or that has protrusions or projections.

• Oil moving metal parts as directed by the manufacturer.

• Check to make sure protective caps and plugs that cover bolt ends and ends of tubing are in place and tight.  Inspect twice a month and replace as needed.

• Check the condition of the equipment, looking for signs of wear and tear such as broken or missing components, bent pipes or tubing, and splintering or decaying wooden surfaces.  

• Check swing seats, ropes, chains, and cables monthly for deterioration and replace as needed.

• lean, sand, and repaint rusted areas with a non-lead-based paint.

In addition, sandboxes should be checked often for insects, debris, and hazards such as sharp rocks, sticks, or broken glass.  To prevent animals from fouling the sand, sandboxes should be covered when not in use.  

Protective Playground Surfaces

The type of protective playground surface you choose for your backyard playground equipment will determine the amount of maintenance required over time.  Loose-fill surface materials like wood chips, shredded bark mulch, pea gravel, play sand, and recycled rubber mulch require frequent raking, and sometimes tilling, to remove debris, loosen compacted areas, and level the surface.  Also, to maintain the appropriate protective depth of your playground surface, add more material to your existing surface once or twice every year.

Synthetic protective playground surfaces like rubber tiles, rubber mats, and poured-in-place surfaces usually require less maintenance than loose-fill surface materials, but they should be routinely inspected.  Look for gouges, burns, or loosened areas, and repair them as necessary.  In addition, sand, rocks, leaves, or other loose material should be swept from the protective surface on a regular basis to decrease slipping hazards.

The Surrounding Area

The area surrounding your backyard playground can become just as hazardous as the equipment and the protective playground surface if not properly maintained.  Keep the area free of litter and any obstacles that could potentially cause injuries, such as fallen tree limbs, sharp sticks, large rocks, and yard tools.  Additionally, adequate drainage should be maintained to help prevent water from pooling on and outside of the protective playground surface.  Areas that are frequently wet can be potential slipping hazards as well as breeding grounds for fungus, mold, and other bacteria.

Conclusion

By taking a few minutes each week to inspect your backyard playground equipment, protective surface, and surrounding area for potential problems, you greatly improve safety conditions for the children who enjoy your backyard playground.  Keeping kids safe is crucial, and no measure is too great to assure their well being during their explorative and developmental play.   Backyard playground safety is far too important to allow any avoidable risk to go undetected.

Sources:

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Document #323.  “Home Playground Safety Tips.”

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Document #324.  “Outdoor Home Playground Safety     Handbook.”  2005.