Playground Safety: Dealing with Trees and Bushes
Author: stadiumbleachers | Posted: 26.04.2012Playground safety depends on more than just setting up a few safety rails and a couple of safety padded squares. It requires individuals to remove plants and trip hazards, and place devices away from uneven ground and slopes. Failing to properly prepare the surrounding area could result in broken bones, head injuries and scratches. No matter the size or height of the playground, you must make sure to take these precautions before assembling the equipment. Sure, insufficient protective surfaces and faulty equipment can cause injuries, but so can an unprepared area.
Remove Any Excess Brush or Trees
If you have a large, looming fruit tree hanging over your playground, it’s best to remove it or relocate the playground. Sure, it makes for a great piece of shade, but it also makes the playground a hotspot for flies, insects and sticky residue discarded from the tree. Fruit that falls down will cover the playground. Flies will come looking for food, as will nasty creatures like raccoons and opossums. The playground will also require constant cleaning, making it more of a fretful thing to have around.
As with trees, an overgrown bush can give off pollen during a windy spring day. The pollen or flower petals can leave behind residue that’ll attract bees and, even worse, wasps. Sweet smelling plastic outdoor playgrounds can turn into nesting grounds for these insects.
Aside from the cleanup and bees, kids tend to run around the playground area, making a bush a prime place for kids to land in. While the fall may not break any bones or shatter any skulls, the sharp twigs and leaves will nick, scratch and scrape a child if the fall is hard enough. It’s best to keep bushes trimmed or remove them from the play area entirely.
Trip Hazards and Uneven Slopes
Just like excess bushes and trees, trip hazards including toys, holes and slopes can wreak havoc for home as well as playgrounds for schools. It is best to fill up holes in the ground. Remove any sprinklers that protrude from the ground and can cause a child to trip, and remove any toys seen sprinkled across the ground.
As for the slopes, never place a playground over one. A slope will cause a playground to become uneven. Slides may not work properly. Playgrounds can even tumble over if placed over a slope. Even if you think the ground is even, double check with a professional just to be sure, because even the slightest angle can cause problems.
About Author:
ParknPool's goal is to provide unparalleled integrity and competence throughout the entire purchasing and installation process. Our mission is simple, but powerful - to create happy school playground clients. Our unique "Power Promise" ensures that we accomplish this. We promise that we will provide you with consistently high-quality commercial furnishings like playgrounds and portable bleachers. We will identify your needs and match them with relevant products. We will create realistic expectations - and then we will exceed them!
ParknPool's goal is to provide unparalleled integrity and competence throughout the entire purchasing and installation process. Our mission is simple, but powerful - to create happy school playground clients. Our unique "Power Promise" ensures that we accomplish this. We promise that we will provide you with consistently high-quality commercial furnishings like playgrounds and portable bleachers. We will identify your needs and match them with relevant products. We will create realistic expectations - and then we will exceed them!
Click here to return original format