Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 08/15/2002

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Don' PI Maintaigin¢ play~rounds so they're'Safe and user- friendly So kids can have fun a~d parents ca~ have 'peace of mind. .~;? The most commoi~ thread in an), discussion of pla) ground mainte- nance is surfacing. All playground manufacturers stress the importance of maintaining this more than anything else. "As soon as you compromise sur- facing in some way by poor mainte- nance you're increasing risk and reduc- ing the ability of the surface to protect from a fall," says Steve King, chairman of Landscape Structures, Delano, Minn. "Of all the lawsuits we see here, it usu- all)' has to do with surfacing." Surfacing does not guard against injur.,,; per se, but is intended to prevent catastrophic injuu; particularly to the head and neck. "Sometimes people have the mis- taken thought' that, even with poured- in-place or tile, if a child falls off they are magically protected from any kind of irtjur);" says John Hanson, national sales manager for BCI Burke, Fon Du Lac, Wis. Surfacing should be as uniform and smooth as possible, with an even depth, and as dry a surface as possible. Hard-packed surfacing can be just as bad as an irregular surface. "If it's a loose fill, keep i~ Ruffed, turned over, dr),, well-drained and level. Making sure it's well-drained will add to the life and the kids can go out and play right after a rain, and the stuff stays dr); doesn't rot, compact or attract mold," says King. 'Tve seen it dug up and it's literally particle board - it just comes out in chunks because it's all held together by mold." Playgrounds should be checked regularb; with not only an eye to the equipment, but with your head down, combing the ground for irregular sur- facing, broken bottles and trash and obstacles in and around the playground that could cause falls· ~ P/iRKS&REC BUSINESS I Augus! 2002 I ww,.,'.pc~rksandrecbusines$.com I