Safety in playgrounds

Everything you wanted to know about children’s safety in playgrounds:

m Garshi games excite the children.
The children are in the fresh air, meet with friends and enjoy physical activity.

To keep the children safe, make sure that there is no damaged equipment or improper surfaces in the playground , which could harm the children and put them at risk.

Slide after repair - safe to use

Burnt slide - dangerous to use

Every year, many children are injured as a result of playing in a playground .
Many accidents can be avoided with the help of parents and proper supervision by the authorities.

You can enable safe and fun play for your children,
Through 2 simple tests, which will significantly reduce the children’s chance of getting hurt while playing in the facilities:

1. Visual inspection:
Check the facilities area to make sure there is no visible danger, for example: lack of ladder steps, holes in the slides and elements protruding from the ground.

Complete missing parts - safe to use

Lack of parts in the device - dangerous to use

2. Physical examination:
Check the facilities, by shaking and moving the facility, starting with swings, slides and the body of the facility.

Adult supervision:

Adult supervision can help prevent injuries by supervising and controlling children’s play in the facilities.

When the children play in the amusement park ,

Injuries can occur that are not necessarily related to the facility, and when there is a responsible adult in the area,

He can help the child, and if necessary call for help or refer him for medical treatment.

It is always good to have an adult in charge of the children.

When children play alone, they don’t always use the facility in the way it was intended.

The children “stretch the limits”, and challenge themselves with unconventional activities that may endanger them while playing.

This unsafe activity is usually caused by social pressure and the child’s attempt to prove his abilities.

The presence of an adult of one of the children may prevent a disaster.

Playground safety and design:

One of the most important factors in the matter of safety is the correct planning of the playground.
When you are interested in setting up a game park , it is very important to remember:
The design of the park should be adapted to the age of its users.
The park should be spacious enough for safe play.
The park should be under frequent supervision and proper maintenance.

Playground:

A proper playground is one of the most important factors in reducing injuries.
When the playing surface does not match the facility,
The injuries can significantly endanger the safety of children playing in the park.
The surface under the play equipment should be soft and thick enough to soften the child’s fall.

Here are some things to consider:

Asphalt and concrete –

are not safe for use in play facilities.

They are good when the device is stationary and under 60 cm high.

Grass and soil surfaces –

Better, when the facilities are high, although they also will not absorb the fall of the children playing in the facility.

Moreover, the weather damages the surface and it is not possible to use it properly.

Flooded playground - forbidden to use

When the children play in the facilities and in the park area,
The area should be free of debris, shards of glass, puddles, rocks, branches and roots that could harm the children’s safety.

The playground recommended today is a normal rubber surface.
The surface must pass the safety test at the Standards Institute,
and be approved for use by children in play facilities.

You can also use sea sand or garden sesame, but they also have disadvantages and problems such as:

There is no wheelchair access.
Animals defecate on the substrate.
Runoff from rains destroys the surface.

A proper rubber surface, allows you to enjoy all the benefits.
The cost of the rubber surface is not cheap, but over the years it pays off and is worthwhile.

Distribution of the park area by age:

Playgrounds for children should be adapted
For the age of the users, therefore, the game area should be divided into three different age groups:
Babies and toddlers under the age of 2,
2 – to 5 (preschool age),
and 5 to 12 (at school age).
Playgrounds are safest when they are appropriate for the age of the children playing on them. Small children should not play in facilities intended for older children, Since the distances of the elements do not correspond to their size, the slides are longer and therefore scare the small children. On the one hand, this may challenge them and make them have fun playing alongside the older children. From a safety point of view, this is not recommended.

Proper maintenance and control:

Did you get to the playground? It is very important to check: Is the playground regularly maintained by the local authority? Does the authority own an external company that maintains the gaming facilities? Does the public garden look neglected and unmaintained? If the local authority does not carry out renovation and maintenance for the playground – the playground is dangerous to use.

Neglected playground - forbidden to use

As stated above about the parent’s ability to visually and physically inspect the facility,
To ensure safe use for his children, the local authorities are obliged to carry out monthly inspections of play facilities.
The inspection is done by professionals who have gone through a professional training course for gaming facilities and have been certified by the Israeli Standards Institute.

If you noticed that the playground is not maintained,
You can report it to the local authority as a dangerous garden and not safe for children to use.

Main highlights for playground maintenance:
All the slides, railings, ladders and various elements, including swings, chains and the like,

Must be in good condition and safe to use.
The field area should be free of irons, stones, roots and elements
which can endanger the children while running on the playground.
The playground must be in good condition according to the instructions of the Standards Institute,
and be an integral part of the monthly maintenance of the public garden.
If there is a road, parking lot or path where there is vehicle traffic
motorized, A separation fence must be erected, and make sure that it is in good condition.
In integrated wooden facilities, fractures and cracks can form in the wood.
The cracks in the facility must be sealed and sanded to prevent finger catches and cuts for children playing in the garden.
Screws and various elements in the facility must be strengthened,
and to prevent loosening of parts that may fall and break during use.

Performing correct maintenance and control by the local authority is very important for the preservation of the facility over the years.
Maintenance of play facilities and proper control by the authorities can prevent disasters in the future.

Monthly checker certificate for play facilities

Training Center Standards Institution of Israel

Teaching children about the importance of safety in playgrounds:

adult supervision while playing in the facility and proper maintenance by the local authority, is only part of the equation called child safety in playgrounds. The parents, teachers and kindergarten teachers should make it clear to the children that the correct use of facilities saves lives. The children should take precautions when arriving at the playground and play in the facilities according to the instructions. Here are some highlights that are recommended to convey to the children before arriving at the playground:

Do not push other children while using the slides, climbing ladders, swings and other play equipment.
It is mandatory to use the facility as defined, and without any climbing in places not intended for this, which may pose a danger to children. For example: climbing on the roofs of the facilities, climbing outside the railings, climbing the closed tube slides, crossing between towers above the tunnels.
It should be noted that before using the slide or tunnel, no other child may be harmed.
When the children jump from the facility’s ladder or descend from the rope tower, they must land on both feet at the same time, in order to divide the load of the body weight in half, thus not hurting the knees or legs.
It is mandatory to leave the bicycles, backpacks and other equipment a few meters away from the playing areas, and make sure that they do not interfere with the activities on the playground .
When the amusement facility is damp and wet, avoid running on top of the facility.
Shoes must be worn while using the amusement facilities , especially in the summer, when the facilities are hot and may cause burns to the feet.
It is mandatory to make sure that the shoes are well tied and there are no laces that could get caught in the device and cause the child to fall and even create a suffocation hazard.

Vandalism in amusement facilities:

In recent years, there have been many cases of venezalism by the youth. Young boys arrive at night and slaughter the facilities. Venezalism not only costs the authorities a lot of money, but also poses a danger. The children can be injured by using a dangerous device. Therefore, it is mandatory to warn the children against using damaged facilities and thus reduce the chance of being harmed.