One of the most significant risks charter schools face is injury to their students. Recess presents the time when most injuries are likely to occur, so students must be well-supervised during that time.
The Consumer and Product Safety Commission has put together a guide on keeping your playground equipment safe that we also wanted to share here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office.
Playground Equipment Safety
- Make sure surfaces around playground equipment have at least 12 inches of wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel or are mats made of safety-tested rubber or rubber-like materials.
- Check that protective surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. For swings, be sure surfacing grows, in back and front, twice the height of the suspending bar.
- Ensure play structures over 30 inches high are spaced at least 9 feet apart.
- Check for dangerous hardware, like open “S” hooks or protruding bolt ends.
- Make sure spaces that could trap children, such as openings in guardrails or between ladder rungs, measure less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches.
- Check for sharp points or edges in the equipment.
- Look for tripping hazards, like exposed concrete footings, tree stumps, and rocks.
- Ensure elevated surfaces, like platforms and ramps, have guardrails to prevent falls.
- Check playgrounds regularly to see that equipment and surfacing are in good condition.
- Carefully supervise children on playgrounds to make sure they’re safe.