ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS — S.A.F.E. TIPS

SUPERVISION

Children should always be supervised when playing in the outdoor environment. The lack of supervision is a contributing cause of many playground injuries. Supervision is more than watching. Supervisors should provide support for children's play and know how to respond to emergencies. Injuries on the playground have been decreased through supervision training programs. NPPS has an educational supervision training kit that guides schools through the process of how to train staff.

AGE APPROPRIATENESS

School playgrounds should be age appropriate. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission playground equipment should be separated for children ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12. NPPS recommends that schools consider going one step further and separating areas for children in the following manner: PreK, K-2, 3-4, and 5-6.

Play for all children, children with disabilities and children without disabilities, should be developmentally appropriate. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has minimum guidelines for playground equipment. NPPS has a CD ROM training program that offers a clear explanation of the ADA standards for playgrounds.

FALL SURFACING

We all know that when children play, they will fall. The goal should be to provide a soft cushion for them to fall onto. Asphalt, dirt, concrete, and grass are not acceptable surfaces for underneath play equipment. A one foot fall onto concrete can cause a concussion. Appropriate surfaces include loose fill materials such as sand, pea gravel, wood chips, or rubber chips. Rubber tiles, rubber mats, or poured-in-place rubber are acceptable if they meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommendations. NPPS has an informative video, Safe Surfaces, that outlines the criteria to ensure that surfaces under and around equipment are appropriate.

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

Routine maintenance should be conducted based on manufacturer's recommendations and CPSC guidelines.

  • Checking the equipment for broken equipment, gaps, and entanglements.
  • Periodically sealing, staining, or painting wooden play structures to prevent deterioration. This should be done according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
  • Checking for missing or damaged equipment components.
  • No openings on playground equipment should range between 3.5 to 9 inches where children's heads or bodies could be trapped.
  • Removing scattered debris, litter, feces, or rocks.

NPPS has a comprehensive playground inspection kit for schools. The School Assessment Kit for Outdoor Play Environments includes a training manual, training CD ROM, checklists, and the Nuts and Bolts of Playground Maintenance video that outlines the criteria to ensure that surfaces under and around equipment are appropriate.