We all love playgrounds. They are a large part of our childhood memories. In fact, we had a lot of fun on swing sets, merry-go-rounds and teeter totters. The problem is, however, these play events have injuries associated with them, and many of these injuries come from falls. Injuries happen on playgrounds; that’s a fact of life, but the goal is to make playgrounds safer.
By eliminating playgrounds, we wouldn’t have to worry about injuries, but that is not the solution. So, how do we allow children the benefits associated with playgrounds while making them safer.
We have come a long way in this regard. In the past, playgrounds used to be much more hazardous than they are today. When I was a child, I remember hanging upside down on a monkey bar over the top of asphalt. I didn’t think anything of it at the time.
We now have safety surfacing on most playgrounds. Mulch, poured In place rubber, or artificial turf are just some of the solutions. Kids fall. That is just a fact. Safety surfacing helps to ameliorate that fact.
We also look for protrusions, puncture points, trip hazards and head entrapments. We have redesigned play structures and other play equipment to meet ASTM standards as well as making playground equipment with IPEMA approval. Supervision is important, as well. We strive to make playground safety a top priority and still make play fun and innovative.
J.C. Walker & Sons Corp. would like to be your maintenance crew, consultant, designer or installer. We are Certified Playground Safety Inspectors and have been on the job for over 22 years. Our moniker is, We do playgrounds! and we do them well.