Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 06/10/2021

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Handbook for Playground Safety AINTAINING A PLAYGROUND Inadequate maintenance of equipment has resulted in injuries on playgrounds. Because the safety of playground equipment and its suitability for use depend on good inspection and maintenance, the manufacturer's maintenance instructions and recommended inspection schedules should be strictly fol- lowed. If manufacturer's recommendations are not available, a maintenance schedule should be developed based on actual or anticipated playground use. Frequently used playgrounds will require more frequent inspections and maintenance. 4.1 Maintenance Inspections A comprehensive maintenance program should be developed for each playground. All playground areas and equipment should be inspected for excessive wear, deterioration, and any potential hazards, such as those shown in Table 3. One possible procedure is the use of checklists. Some manufactur- ers supply checklists for general or detailed inspections with their maintenance instructions. These can be used to ensure that inspections are in compliance with the manufacturer's specifications. If manufacturer -provided inspection guide- lines are not available, a general checklist that may be used as a guide for frequent routine inspections of public play- grounds is included at Appendix A. This is intended to address only general maintenance concerns. Detailed inspec- tions should give special attention to moving parts and other parts that can be expected to wear. Maintenance inspections should be carried out in a systematic manner by personnel familiar with the playground, such as maintenance workers, playground supervisors, etc. 4.2 Repairs Inspections alone do not constitute a comprehensive mainte- nance program. Any problems found during the inspection should be noted and fixed as soon as possible. • All repairs and replacements of equipment parts should be completed following the manufacturer's instructions. • User modifications, such as loose -ended ropes tied to elevated parts, should be removed immediately. • For each piece of equipment, the frequency of thorough inspections will depend on the type and age of equipment, the amount of use, and the local climate. Table 3. Routine inspection and maintenance issues ❑ Broken equipment such as loose bolts, missing end caps, cracks, etc. ❑ Broken glass & other trash ❑ Cracks in plastics ❑ Loose anchoring ❑ Hazardous or dangerous debris ❑ Insect damage ❑ Problems with surfacing ❑ Displaced loose -fill surfacing (see Section 4.3) ❑ Holes, flakes, and/or buckling of unitary surfacing ❑ User modifications (such as ropes tied to parts or equipment rearranged) ❑ Vandalism ❑ Worn, loose, damaged, or missing parts ❑ Wood splitting ❑ Rusted or corroded metals ❑ Rot • Consult the manufacturer for maintenance schedules for each piece of equipment. Based on these schedules, a maintenance schedule for the entire playground can be created. This routine maintenance schedule should not replace regular inspections. 4.3 Maintaining Loose -Fill Surfacing Loose -fill surfacing materials require special maintenance. High -use public playgrounds, such as child care centers and schools, should be checked frequently to ensure surfacing has not displaced significantly, particularly in areas of the playground most subject to displacement (e.g., under swings and slide exits). This can be facilitated by marking ideal surfacing depths on equipment posts. Displaced loose -fill surfacing should be raked back into proper place so that a constant depth is maintained throughout the playground. Impact attenuating mats placed in high traffic areas, such as under swings and at slide exits, can significantly reduce 17