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niu a! ihe surprising nrpca+ o! ihc <br />chnn i� �hc numbcr of syalcmx whidi oL <br />fer amilnr IYP�� ��f evtm �. II i� al.0 imcr <br />exting lu nul¢ 11811 cerlxin sY�lenn oller <br />io ffw pi'IiviGf�. 7'Im'•�° on ILe.harl <br />inJ-.cme. Iha1 Ihe evenl ix cummnn lu �hc <br />unndard cmalog de�ibn.. An ^O" mJi- <br />caux Ihx� �he evem is avnllable ac u caia� <br />lug npiim�. <br />Tn sWiffY Ihe crilcria of complcGiy <br />�mJ ch:Jlenee for a crenl i� e Pla)' envirom <br />mcnl lhe sY��em oughl la have a �olxl uf <br />IS nr more (ealnres. SYnane which <br />smreJ IO or hever offei much more Ae� <br />sign 17r�ihllii5' ���J uuprorcA bcncfit� lur <br />ihc ahiWmn. <br />EVALUAT�NG SAFETY <br />All ol Ihe proJuch L�ICJ on Ihc dian <br />nre numuBinured hy r�u�bli�heJ anJ rep- <br />ulnLle comP:mie+. Mosl nf Ihe�c �vacnn <br />hnve hren in prnJunion for a muuher nl <br />yean. In genuul ihe xystenw arc n� safe <br />or snfer ihnn trediiinnnl eqnipmrm. nne <br />emdd pwchaxe anY �f ihea• prnJucls wii h <br />full mnfidmcr ihai nn exvaordinarr hv- <br />ords wuiud bc imroduced inin your piny- <br />graunJ. <br />Whilr �hese nre all yu:diry' ry��ein�. <br />Ilmre nrr ahnicen you a:m mnAr w hich x iii <br />Gmher rcJutt haxarJa. A� na1cJ c:u licr. <br />Ihe Cop�umcr IYnJucl Salely Cunuui�- <br />sion IC.P.S.CJ hax Idennlied fulle;n �he <br />greaics� einkle plaY6mund hucarJ. Ihcrc <br />nre ihmr waY� Io reducc Ihir Imzard: piaa <br />u fxil.nlunrbmg nlnlcual unJn cyuip. <br />men�, lower Ihc hcigh� o( cepiipmem, anJ <br />invxll wltry rnih whidi a�ill irdu.e ihc <br />IikelihonJ nf lallx. <br />ScinlinBlhe besl (all.xbaorbing malem <br />nl lo platt under your eyuipmem i� a <br />complex prohlem. There is no idcal ma�o- <br />rinl. Thc Cnnswner Produns Safciy <br />Commixsiun has proJuceJ a buuklct <br />which proviJes a summnry af iheir rec- <br />ommenJatinns. tloth Volumes I and II o( <br />A Npndbonk fnr Publia• PlarAround <br />SuJery nre availab�e from ihc C. P.SC. bv <br />colliae IPINII fiJRQ772. Discmeing ihc <br />prabinn wilh Ihc rcgiunul rcprcscma�ivc� <br />of eyuipmenl munu(naura. i� :Jw an r�� <br />cellew prercedur<. <br />Heducinp hci6hie of ryuipmem i. murc <br />conunvcrsiN. Mxny pmple fecl ihm ihc <br />hiFher n pL�y<rem Ihe mnre childrrn will <br />like Ihnl uctivily. Thi� assumpiion has not <br />Imeu inveaiN:�leJ in an)' �yeinnauc �eac, <br />:mJ mny m mny m� br Irue Thc comem <br />Gun i� 16�u oWcr childrcn ai Icaxi rc4��ire <br />such huighl i! they are yoing lo use �he <br />pluypmunJ ul ull. li ir pre�umcd ihat vcry <br />younµ chilJren will bc imimidamd Fy such <br />c4��ipmem xnJ mi ucc ii.'1'his assmnp. <br />Ilon b withoul mcril ps accidenl sldlislics <br />mnlain a significant number of cascs in <br />which pslanishingly yoong children fcll <br />from cquipmenl up io 14 fce� in hei6h�. <br />One musi assume ihai any equipment <br />pluttd in a public unsupervixd play- <br />ground wiil be used by all ages. <br />ihere are indicaiions thai a complez <br />and chullenging play environment will ai- <br />Iram nnd inurcsl children of all agcs even <br />Landscope S�malures (irst papulorixtl f4e postPoeck/evmt formot Their new AivmoCore sysiem <br />oHcrs �he besl ol 6oih wodds ... �he dumbiliry of inetal posts aM ihe gaod fmction wifh improved <br />salety oi woaden O�tks. <br />1 hnu6�� Ihe hei6hl ol' appar'v�ux is limired <br />w the mininnun �chich allnws �he even6 <br />lo funqiOn. Scvcrel �Ilanulaclurers Oro- <br />duceequipmenl nn which �he highesl deck <br />i. ju�i ciF��� �eci. Thcre i<na widence m <br />auggc�llL:n wdi playgmunde are less en- <br />joyeJ by children and considerable sup- <br />pun lur the mmm�tion thai thev are less <br />h:¢nrduns. � <br />7'hc C.P.SC. has also madc a speci(ic <br />recommcndalion abnut sa(ety railings: <br />Iilna�eJ tiurfaees — �i is recom- <br />menJed �hat an elevamd smface lo- <br />taled more Ihan JO inches above ihe <br />underlying surface and in[ended for <br />usc as a O�aiform, deck, walkway, <br />Wn�ing, �mnsi�ional surlace, or simi- <br />Inr walking mrface have a proteceire <br />harrier al leas� J8 inch<s in heighL The <br />promaive barrier should completely <br />surround �he surface <xcept for neces- <br />sary envance and ezit openings. The <br />iment of this rccommend:rcion is io <br />prcven� falls Ihmugh Ihe barriet, prc- <br />duJC Ihc �wssibilily of cmrapment and <br />Jiscourage climbing. <br />Thcrc urc �hrtt lypes of rndosure sys- <br />mms which mcct tnis reyuircmenL solid <br />panels, wi�iiJ slal pands, anJ pipe rails <br />wi�h .�enical barriers. Sea'eral manufaa <br />iurco havc cnclusuns which consist o! <br />scvcral horiron�al rungs. These fail �u <br />mcc� �hc yuiJciine for non-climbabili�y. <br />Thcy also intmdutt a new haeatd —chil- <br />Jren mmmonly sil on sueh rails and hook <br />Ihcir @ei inm �he lower rungs. One good <br />xhove and �he child falls back off the <br />stru4urc. <br />Wood slat rndosures are of(ered by <br />Timb"R"scapes, Mod"U"Log, Nalure- <br />ville, and Landscapc Sirunures. Solid <br />panels are ihe soW[ion on Steelville. Bo�h <br />Landscape Structures and Playboos�crs <br />of@r a solid panel wi�h a clear FuFM1Ic <br />which allows for child supervision. An- <br />mher volntinn is a(kred hy Playboosters. <br />Thieraiicnnsistsofa hnrizomalbar <br />at 38 in<hes and rwo venical bars conneco- <br />ing (mm ihe �op rail to [he deck. This sat- <br />isfias �he C.P.S.C. guideline, offers mlal <br />supereision, and is very inexpensive. <br />The las� placc (or poor railing detail <br />mmi go io ttnain designs which expose <br />children �o siSnifican� heigh6 �vi�h no <br />railings at all. <br />A(inal mnsideretion is the material <br />uxd far deck constructioa Children not <br />only fall (rom vrucmres, �hey also fall <br />againsi them. Suikin6 a smel edge of deck <br />is more damaging than impacting on a <br />n�ood deck. wooden decks have the addi- <br />tional benefi[ of improved vac�ion when <br />weL N'ood edge decks are available wilh <br />Timb'•R^scapes, Mad"U"Logs. Land- <br />scape Simcmres, Playboostcrs, BigToys <br />and Timberform produns. <br />CONSIDERING DURA4LLITV <br />As wiih the issue of safely, on< <ar. <br />generally assume tha� O�oducts manufac <br />�ured by any of �hese well�<stablishcd n:�- <br />iiowl mmpanics will offcr :mceplabic <br />durabilily and adequalc (ield :�vr�«� <br />There arc, howc�eq considcrable Jiffcn <br />ences between proJucts Ihal will afkcl <br />�hcir long urm servicc. <br />The primarydis�inaion beixecn �hesc <br />sysicros is �hc matcriai used for Ihc up- <br />rigM snvnort posis. WwJ-bascd syslems <br />cannot comc close m malching ihc lunq <br />Icrm durabiliry' of mclal. Thrtc IY�cx nf <br />wood arc olfercd: redwood, pice anJ <br />DuuS�as Pir. Douglas Pir i� by far Ihc <br />erongcs� of thexe woods, pw it ulto Joes <br />nol absorb nrezsurc uexling well. 'fllc <br />pinc wooJs arc 8enerallY �renlcA wid� a <br />cnpper compound which has well crlob� <br />lishcd pcemrvalive ryu:Jilies. ReAw6oJ <br />hax mme n:�turul rnt anA Insecl rr.tiManee, <br />bul. us wilh all orR:���ic mnlcriuh, will <br />varY IYron picec lo pieC¢, <br />'fwo xY*lems comhinr Ihe durnbllllY nf <br />metnl puxis wiih Ihc rdely nJannluAex ul' <br />woad dcekx. AlumxCure and PhiY��»Fb <br />