It’s important that your outdoor playground equipment is safe for all those who use it!
The environment you let your child roam is a place that needs to be safe and this includes all playgrounds — whether it’s the expansive playscape at their school or the small playset at their daycare — it needs to be safe for all children of all ages!
At MVP Playgrounds, we are building exciting playgrounds for kids that are both safe and fun. But, where do you begin to trust our commercial playground equipment and how do you know with full confidence that safety is put first? Join us in today’s post as we walk you through a safety checklist!
MVP Playground’s Safety Checklist
If you’ve been researching commercial playground equipment, you are likely inundated with results. All the playgrounds look the same, right?! While they all have a similar aesthetic, MVP Playground takes the initiative to create safer playgrounds from the ground up.
Let’s explore a safety checklist and playground features that make our commercial playgrounds one that you can put your trust in!
Playground Barriers And Perimeters
All of our outdoor playground equipment is assembled with barriers and perimeters to keep your kids safe.
According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), a resounding 45% of playground injuries result in severe fractures, concussions, internal injuries, dislocations, and amputations. And, 75% of playground injuries result from public facilities such as daycares and schools.
These statistics are sobering which make playground barriers and perimeters all the more relevant in playsets.
What are playground barriers and perimeters?
These are the railings and panels that fitted and surround the entire play structure. From lining the steps up to another tier to enclosing the highest level of the playground — these features prevent falls and safety hazards.
Many of our outdoor playground equipment has railing and large slatted panels (for increased visibility for both kids and caretakers) that are spaced strategically so that it not only prevents a child from falling, but close enough so that even the tiniest kiddo can’t slip through.
It’s also important to note the height — the height of all of our perimeters and barriers is tall enough so that a child could not fall over the edge without climbing or being boosted.
Powder Coated Parts
Another thing to assess on a playground safety checklist is that the pieces and parts of a playground that aren’t plastic are powder coated. Railings and side panels are typically composed of metal and when metal is exposed, it can rust and corrode over time.
At MVP Playgrounds, we take our railings and panels very seriously and go beyond having exposed metal parts. Instead, these parts are powder coated to create a not only a more weather-resistant part, but this also makes it safer for the kids at play because it prevents hot parts that can burn, and it’s a much more smooth to touch.
Grate-Floor Base Surfaces
Each of our playsets has a ventilated base (small drainage holes) that allows water to efficiently drain so rain, snow, or melted ice can’t pool and create a slippery, dangerous surface for kids.
The flooring also has a powder coating that provides additional traction, making it a perfect and safe surface for kids to run about without a slipping hazard.
Key-Hole Slide Entrances
Slides are typically accessed from the second or third tier of the playground that can be pretty high up. To reduce kids from falling from the top of the slides, we’ve added an extra keyhole to the slides to prevent this.
So, when kids are running amuck and having a jolly ol’ time, the bottleneck of going down the slide can still happen, but if there is pushing and shoving, a kid won’t fly off the side of the slide.
Rounded Edges
Because kids get overly excited and chase each other around on the playground this can subject them to tripping and falling on the playground equipment. While we can’t prevent accidents from happening, we can make them safer! This is why all of our outdoor playsets steer clear of sharp edges and instead implement rounded, soft edges.
Handrails
While there are many barriers and perimeters on our equipment, it’s also important to incorporate handrails throughout the play structure that kids can easily access and grab onto.
In case of a hazard, we’ve equipped our playgrounds with an abundance of handrails to not only help them up off from the ground level, but in areas on the higher tiers where falls could occur. This is an extra preventative safety measure we take in all of our outdoor play areas.
There are many commercial playground companies in the industry, but we build better places to play through safer playground equipment for kids.
To learn more about our commercial playgrounds for your facility, connect with us today!
