Safety - Is Your Playground Safe?
Author: Nicolas Breedlove
On-field injuries are a growing concern these days but youngsters, mainly kids, cannot be barred from enjoying outdoor games on this lame ground. To safeguard individuals from such fatal injuries, playgrounds, backyards and all other playing zones should be properly covered with safety surfaces. Different types of safety surfaces are available in the market with their own degree of protection.
In the present scenario we can easily discover the fact that more and more population are indulging into sports and recreation. Many outdoor as well indoor sports like football, tennis, hockey, gymnastics and others, involve vigorous movement of our structure. Since it involves a wide deal of body movements and body balance, many a time we are subjected to fatal injuries. This severity can be reduced to a greater extent by using safety surfaces in playgrounds and backyards. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has defined playground surfacing as the material to be used within the use zone of any playground equipment. The main aim of using such surfaces is to prevent head injuries, skeletal fractures and other lethal injuries.
Safety surfacing is quintessential for children as they are careless enough to fall off the play structures which results in severe injuries. Such safety surfaces even reduce the chance of causing sprains, bruises or even cuts in some severe cases. These safety surfaces can be natural or man-made. There are innumerable options available in the category of natural safety surfaces. You can use playground sand or even fine gravel which gives the playground a natural look along with a fine safety surface. Wood chips and bark mulch are also good shock absorbents and give an attractive look to the playground. But it is quite difficult to extract litter out of the wood chips or bark mulch. You can also use shredded tires or a rubber which is now considered to be the most effective amongst all loose safety surfaces.
While you prepare for such safety surfaces you should keep in mind various elements dominating the perfection of such surfaces. You should keep in mind the depth of such surfaces which should not be less than 6 to 12 inches deep. If you decide to use playground sand or gravel, they should be properly refined to separate any pieces of glass or hardware which can cause extreme damage to the body. Moreover you should also build a proper perimeter for such surface so that it doesn't spread out over time.
The other types of safety surfaces are the manmade safety surfaces like mats and tiles. These safety surfaces are widely used for indoor purposes. Rubber safety tiles, poured in place surfacing, artificial grass, engineered wood fiber carpet; foam tiles and wooden playground mulch are some of the safety surfaces used nowadays to protect children from probable injuries. You will find these artificial safety mats quite expensive, but they are easier to maintain, outstanding shock absorbers and long lasting.
Among the various forms of playground safety surfaces available in the market, rubber mats are the most preferred one for its low maintenance and high shock absorbing capacity. A 2 – 3 inches thick rubber surface is more effective to 10 – 12 inches of wood chips, bark mulch or fine gravel. So before selecting any playground safety surface, you should carefully check their shock absorbing power.
This article is written by an expert who is currently associated with AAA State Of Play, an esteemed organization for indoor and outdoor commercial playground equipment’s. They are also into the sale of different types of indoor play equipment to the customers at reasonable rates.
In the present scenario we can easily discover the fact that more and more population are indulging into sports and recreation. Many outdoor as well indoor sports like football, tennis, hockey, gymnastics and others, involve vigorous movement of our structure. Since it involves a wide deal of body movements and body balance, many a time we are subjected to fatal injuries. This severity can be reduced to a greater extent by using safety surfaces in playgrounds and backyards. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has defined playground surfacing as the material to be used within the use zone of any playground equipment. The main aim of using such surfaces is to prevent head injuries, skeletal fractures and other lethal injuries.
Safety surfacing is quintessential for children as they are careless enough to fall off the play structures which results in severe injuries. Such safety surfaces even reduce the chance of causing sprains, bruises or even cuts in some severe cases. These safety surfaces can be natural or man-made. There are innumerable options available in the category of natural safety surfaces. You can use playground sand or even fine gravel which gives the playground a natural look along with a fine safety surface. Wood chips and bark mulch are also good shock absorbents and give an attractive look to the playground. But it is quite difficult to extract litter out of the wood chips or bark mulch. You can also use shredded tires or a rubber which is now considered to be the most effective amongst all loose safety surfaces.
While you prepare for such safety surfaces you should keep in mind various elements dominating the perfection of such surfaces. You should keep in mind the depth of such surfaces which should not be less than 6 to 12 inches deep. If you decide to use playground sand or gravel, they should be properly refined to separate any pieces of glass or hardware which can cause extreme damage to the body. Moreover you should also build a proper perimeter for such surface so that it doesn't spread out over time.
The other types of safety surfaces are the manmade safety surfaces like mats and tiles. These safety surfaces are widely used for indoor purposes. Rubber safety tiles, poured in place surfacing, artificial grass, engineered wood fiber carpet; foam tiles and wooden playground mulch are some of the safety surfaces used nowadays to protect children from probable injuries. You will find these artificial safety mats quite expensive, but they are easier to maintain, outstanding shock absorbers and long lasting.
Among the various forms of playground safety surfaces available in the market, rubber mats are the most preferred one for its low maintenance and high shock absorbing capacity. A 2 – 3 inches thick rubber surface is more effective to 10 – 12 inches of wood chips, bark mulch or fine gravel. So before selecting any playground safety surface, you should carefully check their shock absorbing power.
This article is written by an expert who is currently associated with AAA State Of Play, an esteemed organization for indoor and outdoor commercial playground equipment’s. They are also into the sale of different types of indoor play equipment to the customers at reasonable rates.
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://nicolasbreedlove.articlealley.com/safety--is-your-playground-safe-2390172.html
Tags:
fatal injuries,
product safety commission,
consumer product safety commission,
consumer product safety,
wood chips,
body movements,
many a time,
playground equipment,
indoor sports,
playground safety surface,
indoor play equipment
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