A child at play in a neighborhood is commonplace. Perhaps that is why the maintenance of our playgrounds on a whole is not as highly regarded as say the landscaping, or the uniformity of its homes. All too often a playground will have a major issue unbeknown to the owner. That is until there is a series problem.

Let’s take a look at the bigger picture:

Over 200,000 children will be injured on playgrounds annually. Approximately 15 of the children will die from the injury sustained.
There are many hazards on a playground that could easily and if left uncorrected will cause one of these injuries. The twelve most documented are:

1. Improper protective surfacing in the use zones of the equipment.
2. Inadequate use zones.
3. Protrusion (impalement) and entanglement hazards from equipment hardware.
4. Entrapment in equipment openings when children choose to enter feet first. Often times in this
situation an opening will allow a child to fit their torso in an opening that will not allow the head thusly entrapping the neck and the possibility of strangulation occurs.
5. Insufficient spacing in between play structures
6. Trip hazards
7. Lack of supervision
8. Age inappropriate activities
9. Lack of maintenance
10. Pinch, crush or shearing, or sharp edge hazards
11. Platforms with no guardrails
12. Equipment already deemed not appropriate for playgrounds
The only way an owner can be truly sure that their playground in adequate compliance with the industry standards and godliness is to instill a Playgrounds Safety and Maintenance Program for their agency to show that all possible steps have been made to maintain the safety of the park patrons and the longevity of equipment. Play Brite has outlined a Playground Safety and Maintenance Program Statement that it offers its clients.

PlayBrite’s Proposed Safety and Maintenance Program

PlayBrite strives to provide Homeowners Associations and Property Management Companies a means to provide optimal play conditions for the patrons of the play spaces in the communities they maintain. PlayBrite has developed a comprehensive maintenance and safety program to protect children that use these areas as well as the agency’s investment. This can only be accomplished through a commitment by Playbrite to assure that every attempt will be made to eliminate safety hazards while leaving the certain amount of risk that is essential to the cognitive development of children.

To guarantee optimal success of this program, the following guidelines will be stringently adhered to by all Playbrite departments and staff:

• All play sites in the community will be included in the playground safety program.

• All equipment will be thoroughly checked that it has been installed according to manufacturer specifications.

• PlayBrite will provide regular and timely inspections and repairs as determined necessary as per the specific needs of the site.

• PlayBrite will provide a contact for residents to notify of any serious concerns they come in contact with, and staff will be on site to locate and evaluate the issue and consult on the best corrective plan of action.

• All inspections and repairs will be done by those who are trained in accordance with the ASTM and CPSC standards and guidelines, in order to maintain the equipment in substantial compliance with the current standard of care.

• All new parts and equipment installed will be in compliance with the current ASTM and CPSC standards and
guidelines.

Play Brite will ensure that all equipment manufacturers that provides equipment utilized in the playground will carry the adequate product liability insurance coverage.