Playgrounds are a child’s heaven. The playground is where a child lets lose, runs around with friends, uses the playing types of equipment, and has tons of fun playing around. While the child is having fun running around and climbing the slides, the chances of injury from fall increases. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), falls at the playground account for 70% of injuries in the children. Some of these injuries can be life-threatening for the child and can have long term consequences. One primary reason behind these injuries is an unsafe surface on the playground. Fortunately, most of these injuries can be avoided by using the right kind of surface at a playground.
The playground surface needs to be thick and soft enough to absorb the impact of a fall. In addition to being soft and thick, the surface should be able to avoid the risk of injury because of hidden sharp objects and should be able to withstand the wear and tear because of the high footfall. Here the two safest types of surfaces for playgrounds.
1. Synthetic Turf
Contrary to popular belief, the grass is not a safe surface as it is not thick enough and cannot survive in extreme weather conditions. The alternative to grass is Synthetic Turf. Synthetic Turf has evolved from residential and sports ground application to playground surfacing. The thick, lush grass of synthetic Turf is soft enough to absorb fall impact and durable enough to withstand the high play footfall of schools and community parks. Unlike real grass, synthetic Turf eliminates the risk of concealed sharp objects, insects, and pesticides.
Northern California Playworks unique surfacing system begins with importing a structural sub-base of “fines” and compacting to industry standards. Norcal Playworks then adds a poured-in-place rubber buffing pad or high-density polyethylene foam safety padding as the cushion course under the playground structure. At last, the TigerTurf is installed over the entire area. Synthetic Turf gives kids to liberty to play freely without a chance of serious injury. Here the benefits of Synthetic Turf:
- High durability even with high traffic
- Easy to maintain
- Eliminates the need to worry about concealed objects
- Available in various colors to match the playground theme.
2. Poured-in-Place safety surfacing
Poured-in-place rubber is considered one of the safest options for playground surfacing owing to the stability and durability of the product. The mnaterial we use is unique because rubber and urethane components are mixed onsite, thus giving the parks and schools the flexibility to apply logos, graphics, and geometric shapes. Moreover, the safety surfacing installed by Northern California Playworks is easily customizable to meet the design and aesthetic requirements of the park or aquatic area.
As the name suggests, Poured-in-place surfaces are poured on-site, and thus, the thickness of the surface can be adjusted to match the fall requirements of any special equipment. Here the benefits of Poured-in-Place surfaces:
- High level of firmness and stability
- Durability
- Eliminates the need to worry about concealed objects
- Perfect for ADA compliance
- Can be poured in various colors onsite
There are multiple options available in the market for playground surfacing from the traditional dirt and gravel to synthetic Turf and Poured-in-place rubber surfaces. While dirt and gravel are cheap compared to synthetic Turf and Poured-in-Place rubber, dirt and gravel are extremely dangerous for the kids as they can lead to life-threatening injuries. Get in touch with Northern California Playworks to improve the safety of your school playground or your community park.
