The Importance of
Playground Inspections
Regularly inspected & well
maintained playgrounds are not only visually appealing, they are much safer and reduce risk to the users.
— By Sandy Cobb, CMCA, of Redmond Ridge ROA— T
he Importance of Playground Inspections. What an absolutely boring title! And I like to play with words, and on playgrounds
with my granddaughters, so this one was tough! But, ultimately, the boring title wins in this case because, at the end of the day, the importance of playground inspections is just that—IMPORTANT!
When I think of playgrounds, I think of kids playing and having fun – climbing, swinging, sliding, zip-lining, etc., the list goes on and on. There are so many amazing playground features now! As kids enter a playground, they aren’t typically worried about how safe the equipment might be, they are just wanting to see how fast they can slide, climb to the highest part of the structure, or how high they can get the swing to go.
Many adults are also thinking about the fun the kids are having and while we may be able to look at some equipment and immediately know it isn’t safe to play on, there are many hidden safety concerns that most of us are relying on someone else to have looked for so that we can just let the kids play.
Unless you have taken a playground safety course, most people don’t know the minimum depth of protective surfacing that is required under playground equipment. Without the correct protective surfacing, a fall can turn
32 Community Associations Journal | April 2022
from a fractured arm or leg to a severe head injury or death. While the protective surfacing isn’t meant to stop any and all injuries, it can greatly reduce the severity of the injury if adequately installed and maintained.
Playground Accidents & Injuries
According to The National Recreation and Park Association, more than 200,000 children are injured due to playground accidents, and another 15 die due to injuries suffered while playing at a park. Many of these injuries could be avoided with the use of playground inspections.
According to The National Recreation and Park Association, more than 200,000 children are injured due to playground accidents.
The National Recreation and Park Association has created a Playground Maintenance Course that provides an overview of playground safety standards and guidelines on responsibilities, maintenance, surfacing, and other items. This course is great for maintenance staff or those responsible for playground maintenance and safety.
Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI), which provides
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