August 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 53

At NRPA's Congress and Exposition
in Houston, Texas, this fall, IPEMA
plans to release informational materials
to help its members, their customers and
users about the installation and maintenance of the various surfacing materials
that IPEMA certifies for safety.
" So, when they are making decisions about safety and accessibility
from a surfacing point of view, they
can look at these materials and really
understand what is necessary in terms
of installation and maintenance for
all the different types of materials that
are safe for different requirements to
fit their community's needs and budget, " Norquist explains.
Community Help
In her work, Hendy recognizes the
effects of strained budgets but sees
ways around the problem.
" When I teach the CPSI course, I
often tell the attendees that the maintenance staff are the 'lifeguards' of
the playground, " she says.
" With proper training, volunteers
from the community are quite capable
of performing routine maintenance
on playgrounds, " Hendy continues.
" Senior citizens are the fastest-growing population, and many are retired
and looking for ways to be involved
with their community. "
Hendy would be the first to agree
that the alternative to such approaches is grim. " I firmly believe that if you
can't afford to maintain your playground, then you should not have
one, " she says. " Proper and timely
maintenance is that important. "
To learn more about NRPA's Certified
Playground Safety Inspector program,
visit www.nrpa.org/cpsi.
Phil Hayward is a Virginia-based writer and
editor and former editor of Parks & Recreation
(phayward88@gmail.com).

Certified Playable
IPEMA's primer on safe playground development

Choices abound when it comes to purchasing commercial playground equipment
and surfacing systems, and playground
operators need to be mindful of important
factors when building a playground.
Consider the playground site location,
specifically as it pertains to convenience
for the entire neighborhood, school, institution or parks department. During the
planning phase, consider weather conditions, geography and topography of the
area in addition to local building codes
and zoning. In addition, it is critical to determine the overall budget level for the
project. Be sure to consider in-kind material donations, funds pledged or already
in-hand, and potential matching grants
as well as the level of community support
and volunteer base prior to purchasing
playground equipment and surfacing.
Once a playground location and budget is determined, the owner/operator
must begin to plan their equipment and
safety-surfacing purchases. Playground
safety is a paramount consideration not
only to parents, but to the health and
well-being of the entire community.
Fortunately, playground safety has improved immensely in the last 30 years.
Since the Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) issued its first safety standards for playgrounds in 1981,
we have seen an overhaul in the types
of equipment and surfacing many of us
remember from our childhoods.

Despite the substantial progress,
accidents will happen and injuries will
occur on playgrounds. Many times,
the injuries are minor and heal quickly without affecting a child long-term.
In these cases, the long-term risk-versus-reward/consequences skills that
children learn far outweigh temporary
bumps, bruises and scrapes. However, it is imperative that playground
owners/operators choose playground
equipment and safety surfacing that
has been tested and approved to meet
all applicable and current safety standards to help minimize the risk to children as well as liability concerns for the
owner/operator.

Industry Standards
The advent of the CPSC guidelines for
public playground equipment has provided a structure by which to evaluate
equipment and surfacing. By choosing
products that are in compliance with
these guidelines, playground owners/
operators are taking the necessary steps
to providing a safer play experience. But
how does one navigate all the intricacies
of the standards? It's relatively simple if
you begin by searching for products
that are certified by the International
Play Equipment Manufacturing Association (IPEMA).
IPEMA is a nonprofit membership
association that provides third-party
product certification services for U.S.
and Canadian public play equipment
and public play surfacing materials
in the United States. IPEMA's member
companies, numbering more than 200
play equipment and surfacing manufacturers, are on the forefront of providing innovative, exciting play equipment opportunities for kids and adults
and have designed surfacing installations to facilitate safer play for all. For
more information, see www.ipema.org.

W W W. N R PA . O R G | A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 |

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August 2013 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2013 - Parks & Recreation

August 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 1
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