Eagle Play Structures was able to improve the Foxborough neighborhood by expanding their existing playground.  Initially there was a single play structure that was replaced with a new and improved play structure and swings for added enjoyment.

Foxborough Site

Rotationally Molded Wave Climb

Double Bay Swing Set

]]> http://www.eagleplaystructures.com/september-playground-of-the-month/feed/ 0 http://www.eagleplaystructures.com/playground-safety-august-2010/ http://www.eagleplaystructures.com/playground-safety-august-2010/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:51:05 +0000 Kelsey http://www.eagleplaystructures.com/?p=2869 In the early 1970’s, The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was petitioned by citizen groups to advise and publish safety standards for public playground equipment.  Until that time, no universal data was readily available to assist playground operators in assessing the suitability of playground products.  Moreover, the general lack of safety date up to that point perpetuated a myriad of serious playground hazards such as inadequate safety surfacing underneath play equipment, dangerous spacing of rungs, barriers that led to head, entrapments and strangulation, and a variety of layout-spacing problems that caused serious injuries.

The CPSC published its Handbook of Public Playground Safety in 1981.  It quickly became the “standard” by which manufacturers, public interest groups and government agencies designed and or evaluated the safety of public playground equipment.  The CPSC’s Handbook for Public Playground Safety was written basically as a tool for the operator of public playgrounds, not as a technical set of specifications for manufacturers.  It gives fundamental safety information to the public in an effort to categorize the most dangerous playground safety issues.  It is an essential tool in evaluating the safety of one’s playground environment.  The CPSC Handbook for Public Playground Safety is available online in .PDF format.

The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) published ASTM-1487 technical specifications, for use by playground manufacturers in designing play equipment for the public sector.

According to Perry Perrett, a Certified Playground Safety Inspector recognized by the National Parks and Recreation’s Playground Safety Institute, “Most playgrounds in existence simply do no meet all the guidelines set forth by CPSC and ASTM.  If a playground cannot be totally replaced with new equipment and build to the latest guidelines, an owner has a duty to identify and eliminate the most serious hazards.”  There are a variety of conditions on playgrounds that can cause injuries.  Some are obvious and others are more subtle.  “Serious hazards” are classified as those causing permanent disability or death, including:

Inadequate Safety Surfacing.

According to the CPSC, more than 70% of injuries reported on playgrounds are from falls from equipment.  It is essential to have suitable, resilient material underneath and around all playground equipment.  The largest jury playground damage award in U.S. history took place in Washington D.C., when a child and family were awarded $14.4 million dollars as compensation for injuries the child sustained from falling from equipment placed over blacktop.  Many resilient surfacing materials are available, ranging from simple wood chips to cast-in-place-urethane matting and interlocking rubber tiles.

Examples of Inadequate Safety Surfacing:

Examples of Adequate Safety Surfacing:

Poured-in-place urethane surfacing

Wood Carpet

Head Entrapments.

Head entrapments are very common on older equipment.  Anatomically speaking, a preschool aged child’s head is usually wider than his shoulders.  When a child enters small openings, he/she often does so fee-first in a basically, free-fall type decent.  If a head cannot fit through an opening, all the body weight is placed on his neck, causing strangulation or serious, permanent spinal injuries or brain damage.  Both CPSC & ASTM recommend that no opening on playground, except those in contact with the ground be between 3.5 and 9 inches wide (diameter).

Examples of Head Entrapments:

Pinch and Crush Points.

Pinch and Crush Points occur when two opposing moving parts such as swinging bridge planks or bridge-to-deck connections have gaps where fingers, hands and feet can fit into openings.  When other equipment users walk across the bridge, such gaps scan close with terrific force, causing server injuries.

Examples of Pinch and Crush Points:

Protrusions.

Protrusions include bolt ends, pipe ends, handgrips, etc. that protrude outwards from equipment.  When attached to a moving part such as a spring animal, they can impale a child’s skull and eye socket and cause serious abrasions and lacerations.

Examples of Protrusions:

Handles on Spring Animals

Moving Object-Impact Injuries.

Virtually every playground manufacturer has recalled board-type swings (swings that make use of heavy, animal type forms that are used as swinging devices, trapeze bars, swinging metal rings, conventional seesaws and the like), due to the danger of permanent bodily injury form impact with the equipment users and or bystanders.

Improperly Spaced Equipment.

A well-designed playground is laid out so as to permit a safe flow of activity from one event to another.  CPSC and ASTM publish a variety of spacing guidelines for all types of play equipment.  Such spacing recommendations address how close various pieces of play equipment can be to one another as well as the width and depth of the safety surface required for various components.

Examples of Improperly Spaced Equipment:

“Common sense goes a long way in helping most people identify the most serious playground hazards,” says Perrett.  The CPSC Handbook for Public Playground Safety is full of simple-to-read data including numerous illustrations that walk one through a playground safety evaluation.  It is written in laymen’s terms.  Many companies, including Sport Systems, offer Certified Playground Safety Inspections to help playground owners assess the safety of their playgrounds.

One of the most common mistakes property owners and managers make is purchasing single-family residential play equipment for use in a public playground.  Residential play equipment is not designed with the requisite spacing, swing configurations or the multitude of other clearances and limitations proven to be safe in public play settings.

Most commercial play equipment is now modular.  It can be designed to meet a facility’s immediate budget and can be expanded at a later date.  Unfortunately, not all commercial play structures on the market are designed in compliance with CPSC and ASTM guidelines.  It is essential to seek out a reputable manufacturer and contractor for your job.  State in the contract that the installation must comply with CPSC and ASTM guidelines.

Whether or not a new play structure is in your plans, it is imperative to inspect your current playground to immediately identify and address serious safety hazards.

Sport Systems is a playground manufacturer and contractor located in Ijamsville, Maryland.  It manufacturers Eagle Play Structures commercial playground equipment using metal, Poly Sleeve, and recycled plastic models.  It installs pavilions, site amenities, tennis, basketball and game courts.  For additional information, call 1-800-609-9966.

Tilford C. Jones / President Sport Systems

Eagle Play Structures is proud to create commercial playgrounds that our customers can customize.  Choose your own customized panel or sit down with one of our knowledgeable sales associates.  All of our associates are Certified Playground safety Inspectors (CPSI) and can help you have a hand in the design of your playground environment.

South End Baptist Structure with Custom Flag

Store Panel with 2 Pod Seats

Custom Panel

Eagle Play Structures recently installed one of its commercial playgrounds at the Avonlea Community Center in South Riding, VA.   Eagle’s powder coated metal uprights dwarf the competition’s 5” posts are the biggest in the playground industry.  Some of the playground components found on our composite structure are:  4” x 4” decks,  ADA transfer station, a rock climb, play panels,  a rotomolded roof, and 2 play slides..including a curved tube slide.  In adding to the play value of the playground, several ground level play components were added including spring riders,  an alligator, and a play school bus.  Eagle even included a commercial swing set with belt seats and a tot bucket seat.  In addition to the playground equipment, a number of site amenities were added including several park benches and trash cans.    The Avonlea Community will certainly get many years of enjoyment and creative play from their new playground.

“We continue to make  investments in the technologies that will move Eagle Play Structures forward, and this website is no exception,” said Perry Perret, Eagle Play Structures General Manager.  “The site’s new look, feel and usability are now very much aligned with our product lines.

Christmas came early at Saint Thomas More Catholic School in Northeast Washington, D.C.    In conjunction with non-profit  Hoya Initiative, which provided installation assistance,  Eagle Play Structures  donated  a brand new $26,000 playground .  The project took three days to complete  and features a main structure as well as free standing, independent play components.