Indy's Child -
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Published on: 3/1/2003
Last Visited: 3/19/2003
In Indianapolis, the 115 playgrounds actively managed by Indy Parks and Recreation were replaced in the last decade specifically due to safety concerns, says Indy Parks principal planner, Michael Krosschell.
"Through the '90s we replaced just about everything we had because playground safety standards really started to become formalized, and we realized all the stuff that we played on as kids was not up to par anymore."
One of the biggest changes made, Krosschell says, was the surfacing under the playground."When we were kids it was pea gravel or sand, or grass or dirt, none of which are soft enough to fall on and prevent a child from being hurt badly.What we're using now is an engineered fiber that looks a lot like wood chips, and we're putting that down to a thickness of 12 inches.That's one of the biggest things we can do to keep a child safe if he were to fall."
But despite these efforts to improve playground conditions, much more work still needs to be done, and local parks departments can't tackle the job alone, safety advocates say.
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Krosschell suggests concerned parents begin involvement in the process by gathering facts about the condition of their playground.An evaluation form utilizing the eight potential hazards used by CAF/PIRG is available on CFA's Web site www.consumerfed.org/Survey2002.pdf.The NPPS Web site also has a blank playground report card that assesses playground supervision and age-appropriate design of play apparatus, in addition to equipment and fall hazards (www.uni.edu/playground/report/blank report.html).CPSC's public playground checklist, found at www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/327.html is another easy-to-use resource.
"One of the most important things to look for," Krosschell says, "is how well the playground is being maintained after it's installed."
Indy Parks playgrounds are inspected regularly throughout the year to ensure the equipment is secure, nothing is broken, and most importantly, the safety surfacing is still intact at the appropriate depth, says Krosschell."This is the biggest safety issue we address and something parents can look for as well when they visit a playground."
Adequate surfacing may have initially been installed, Krosschell explains, "but as kids run around, especially on merry-go-rounds and swings, the surfacing gets kicked away and it's no longer in place to do its job.Our crew, on a regular rotation, will rake it back in place or replace it if we need more."
The next step for parents is to approach the owner or operator of the playground-be it the school principal, church office, or daycare provider-with your concerns.Say something like, "Here are three things I've noticed that don't meet today's standards, and obviously we all want to take care of our children as best we can," advises Krosschell.
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