CD M23

1. Playground Safety
APRIL 7TH, 2014
BY NICOLE LOEHNER, KIM KAVANAGH, VALARIE SCHIELE, LETICIA VELASCO, EMILY SEMA
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2. Interesting Playground Facts
 Each year more than 200,000 children visit hospital emergency rooms because of
playground injuries.
 Nearly 79 percent of playground injuries are caused by falls to the ground.
 Swings (pieces of moving equipment) are most likely to cause injuries to children.
 One of the greatest dangers with slides occurs when drawstrings on children's
clothes get caught at the top of the slide.
 40 percent of all playground injuries are related to climbing equipment.
 Injuries to the head and face account for 60 percent of all injuries to 0-4 years of
age.
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3. q
PLAYGROUND 1 3

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4PLAYGROUND 1

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PLAYGROUND 1 5

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PLAYGROUND 1 6

7. s
THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE
FOR AGE 5-12 (SCHOOL AGE).
• THIS PORTION OF THE PLAYGROUND
CONTAINS UNSTABLE EQUIPMENT.
• DUE TO FAULTY WELDING, THE
STRUCTURE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
COLLAPSE ON A CHILD
• THIS COULD RESULT IN SEVERE
INJURIES SUCH AS
CUTS/BRUISES, BROKEN LIMBS AND
HEAD TRAUMA.
• PARK OFFICIALS HAVE DEEMED THE
STRUCTURE UNSAFE AND IT HAS
BEEN REPORTED.
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Safety
Concerns
Playground 1

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Safety – In
Compliance
THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR
AGE 5-12 (SCHOOL AGE)..
• SLIDE PLATFORM IS OVER 19 INCHES
IN COMPLIANCE WITH 19 INCH
GUIDELINE. IT IS COATED IN A PLASTIC
COVERING PREVENTING OVER
HEATING AND POTENTIAL BURNS TO
SMALL CHILDREN.
• SLIDE PLATFORM IS SURROUNDED BY
GUARD RAILS PREVENTING FALLS.
• LOWER SLIDE HAS HORIZONTAL EXIT
AND HAS A SHOOT THAT IS 12 INCHES
ABOVE THE UNDERLYING SAND. THE
SAND IS 14 INCHES, 5 INCHES DEEPER
THAN WHAT IS REQUIRED.
Playground 1

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PLAYGROUND 2 (CHILD CARE CENTER) 9

10. 2
PLAYGROUND 2 (CHILD CARE CENTER) 10

11. 2
PLAYGROUND 2 (CHILD CARE CENTER) 11

12. 2
PLAYGROUND 2 (CHILD CARE CENTER) 12

13. Playground 2: +
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Safety
Concerns
Playground 2 (Child Care Center)
THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR
AGE 2-5 (PRE-SCHOOL).
• SOFT POUR RUBBER HAS CRACKED
AND CREATED AN UNEVEN GROUND
SURFACE. IT IS ALSO CRACKED WHERE
THE MAT MEETS THE CONCRETE.
• THE DAMAGE COULD BE DUE TO
EXPOSURE TO ELEMENTS OR EXPIRED
SOFT POUR THAT IS IN NEED OF
REPLACEMENT.
• THIS IS A POTENTIAL TRIPPING HAZARD
AND CAN RESULT IN MINOR TO
SEVERE INJURY TO CHILDREN. THE
LOOSE SURFACE MATERIAL COULD
ALSO BE CHOKING HAZARD.

14. Playground 2: +
14
Safety – In
Compliance
Playground 2 (Child Care Center)
THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE
FOR AGE 2-5 (PRE-SCHOOL)..
• THE SLIDE CONTAINS AN INCLINE OF
20 DEGREES, WITH A 11 INCH
HORIZONTAL EXIT, LEVEL TO THE
GROUND; ALL IN COMPLIANCE WITH
SLIDE GUIDELINES
• THE AREA SURROUNDING THE SLIDE
CONTAINS A USE ZONE OF 3.5 FT
• THE STAIRS LEADING TO THE SLIDE
ARE 12 INCHES FROM THE GROUND
AND CONTINUES FROM STEP TO
STEP. THE GUIDELINE MAXIMUM IS
12 INCHES.

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PLAYGROUND 3 15

16. 3
PLAYGROUND 3 16

17. 3
PLAYGROUND 3 17

18. 3
PLAYGROUND 3 18

19. Playground 3: +
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Safety
Concerns
THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR
AGE 5-12 (SCHOOL AGE).
• IN INSPECTING THE SUPPORTING POLE
STRUCTURES, MISSING BOLTS WERE
NOTED IN MULTIPLE PLACES.
• MISSING BOLTS CAN LEAD TO
UNSTABLE STRUCTURES LEAVING THE
PLAYGROUND SUSCEPTIBLE TO
COLLAPSING. THIS COULD LEAD TO
SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH.
• THE PLAYGROUND SURFACE
CONTAINED WOOD CHIPS. AS
MEASURED, THE WOOD CHIPS WERE
ONLY 5 INCHES DEEP. THIS
CONSTITUTES AN UNSAFE SURFACING
DUE TO THE GUIDELINE MINIMUM FILL
IN DEPTH OF 9 INCHES.
Playground 3

20. Playground 3: +
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Safety – In
Compliance
THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR AGE
5-12 (SCHOOL AGE).
• THE SLIDE IS MADE OF NON METAL PLASTIC
LIKE MATERIAL PREVENTING OVERHEATING
AND BURNS. THE SLIDE ALSO CONTAINS A
EXIT ZONE OF 6 FT. WHICH WILL ALLOW A
CHILD ENOUGH ROOM TO EXIT THE SLIDE
SAFELY WITHOUT INJURING THEMSELVES
OR OTHER CHILDREN.
• THE SLIDE HEIGHT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH
PLAYGROUND SAFETY AND IS 5 FT.
• THE STAIRS ARE COATED IN A PLASTIC
COVERING AND ARE COMPLIANT WITH
THE 18 INCH MAXIMUM SPACING PER
STEP. EACH STEP MEASURES A TOTAL
DISTANCE OF 18 INCHES
Playground 3

21. 3
PLAYGROUND 4 21

22. 3
PLAYGROUND 3 22

23. 3
PLAYGROUND 3 23

24. Playground 3: +
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Safety
Concerns
THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR AGE
5-12 (SCHOOL AGE).
• THE SURFACING OF THE PLAYGROUND IS
OF A UNITARY MATERIAL. THIS IS AN
APPROVED MATERIAL FOR PLAYGROUNDS.
HOWEVER, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT GROUND
SURFACES ARE OF LIGHT SHADES. THIS
GROUND SURFACE IS BLACK. BLACK
ATTRACTS AND ABSORBS HEAT. DUE TO
THIS CHILDREN ARE LEFT SUSCEPTIBLE TO
BURNS FROM OVER HEATING OF THE
GROUND SURFACE.
• THE YELLOW ROCK LIKE CLIMBING
STRUCTURE CONTAINS LARGE HOLES THAT
COULD FIT A CHILD'S HEAD. THIS COULD
LEAD TO HEAD ENTRAPMENT. IF A CHILD
BECOMES TRAPPED IT COULD CAUSE A
CHILD TO PANIC, BECOME EXTREMELY
SCARED AND POSSIBLY INJURE
THEMSELVES IN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE.
Playground 4

25. Playground 3: +
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Safety – In
Compliance
THIS PLAYGROUND IS APPROPRIATE FOR AGE 5-
12 (SCHOOL AGE).
• THE TOP SLIDE IS MADE OF A LIGHT COLORED
PLASTIC, PREVENTING OVERHEATING AND
POTENTIAL BURNS OF A CHILD.
• THE SLIDE ALSO CONTAINS A PLATFORM
THAT IS 15 INCHES; WITHIN GUIDELINE. ITS
SIDE CHUTES ARE 4 INCHES ON BOTH
SIDES, PREVENTING THE CHILD FROM
POSSIBLY FALLING OF THE SIDE OF THE SLIDE.
• THE LOWER CLIMBING STRUCTURE IS ABOUT 3
FT TALL, AND PROVIDES MULTIPLE BUMPS
ALLOWING CHILDREN TO EASILY GRIP THE
STRUCTURE IN ORDER TO PULL THEMSELVES
UP. SINCE THE HEIGHT IS WITHIN
GUIDELINE, IF A CHILD WERE TO FALL, THEY
ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE GROUND
SURFACE TO PREVENT SERIOUS INJURY
Playground 4

26. Works Cited
 National Safety Council,. "Playground Safety Facts and Tips - Create a Safe
Environment for Children to Play." Playground Safety Facts and Tips - Create a Safe
Environment for Children to Play. National Safety Council, 2103. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.
 Dautaj, Jacqueline. "Facts on Playground Safety." LoveToKnow. Safety
Awareness, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.
 Public Playground Safety Handbook. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission, 2008. Print
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