Playgrounds are a place where a lot of injuries happen. The equipment sits outside in all weather conditions 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. They see a lot of kids who play on them, some rough and some gentle.
You never know what hidden hazards might be lying around, just waiting to pop up and injure one of your children.Inspections
Sometimes a professional crew might come along to inspect the condition of the equipment, but it probably doesn’t happen very often. The weather, other kids, and more can really take a toll on the status of the equipment. When you arrive at the playground, be sure to take a little walk around and check out the condition of the equipment. Make sure there are no broken pieces or missing safety rails. Check for piles of wood chips on slides or bridges that might cause your kids to trip.
Safety Hazards
Recently, there have been a bunch of reports about kids finding dangerous items on the playground. Contaminated needles, drugs, and razor blades have been left at playgrounds and hidden so that kids will fall on them or grab them without knowing it. These can be extremely dangerous. Doing a walkthrough of the playground may help you to spot some of these before they become a serious problem.
Ground Coverage
What material does the playground use for cushioning under the equipment? Most playgrounds favor wood chips. If a playground is up to code, they will have at least 9 inches of wood chips underneath the playground to provide adequate cushioning. As time goes on, wood chips start to degrade and fall apart, meaning that they need to be replenished on a regular basis. If you see several different lines of fading color on the legs of the playground, that could indicate where the original level of wood chips started off, and how far they have compacted to make the surface not as safe. The wood chips should feel like they have some give under your feet, enough to cushion a child’s fall.
Stay safe this year and watch for other hidden dangers on playscapes too. If you or your child has been injured on a playscape, contact The St. Pete lawyer to get the help that you need. We can provide you with help for medical bills, care for your child and more. Give us a call now so that we can help you get your life back to normal.
