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using multi-platform equipment," new playground, and approximately asphalt after the maintenance staff was
<br /> Breitbard says. "We also limited the $25,000 to upgrade an existing play- reduced due to budget cuts.
<br /> height of platforms, swings and slides. ground. Although broken glass is easy to spot
<br /> Only swing sets with two swings are St. Louis parks officials have evalu- on asphalt, lawsuits arose from injuries
<br /> used, eliminating the danger of a child ated spacing between playground pieces. due to falling, says Skillman. .sty's
<br /> trying to get to the middle swing when "We had to check the circulation playground surfaces now are .g re
<br /> others are using the outside ones." around each piece of equipment to en- placed with pea gravel, which does not
<br /> Los Angeles has hired six "play- sure that children wouldn't run into compact like sand when wet, but is a
<br /> ground doctors," each equipped with each other," says Dan Skillman, assis- softer surface than asphalt.
<br /> tools, spare parts and a van for main- tant to the commissioner of recreation. St. Louis tested a synthetic matting
<br /> taming playgrounds. Each person has a St. Louis changed from sand to as- once, but vandals cut and pulled it up.
<br /> territory and travels to playgrounds to phalt surfaces in city playgrounds 10 "Our concern is the survival rate of
<br /> repair equipment, establish an equip- years ago. "We had a problem with an- what goes down," says Skillman.
<br /> ment inventory and close severely dam- imals using the sand for waste," says "Most of our parks are in an urban en-
<br /> aged equipment. According to Breit- Skillman. "Glass and head lice filtered vironment where vandalism is high."
<br /> bard, the city currently spends between into the sand as well." According to After looking at the cost of various
<br /> $50,000 and $75,000 in constructing a Skillman, the city replaced sand with matting materials, the city decided it
<br /> could get more gravel for the same
<br /> price.
<br /> Northbrook School Chooses "The city solve tdohe not have enough
<br /> money to the problem as fast as
<br /> we want to," Skillman says. The city.
<br /> New Playground Surface he adds, is changing from its all-wood
<br /> equipment to equipment constructed of
<br /> wood and steel because the all-wood
<br /> Trying to reduce injuries, the equipment is vulnerable to vandalism.playground complex at the 04 Duluth, Minn., evaluated the safety
<br /> Henry Winkleman public school of its playgrounds in conjunction wit)-
<br /> in Northbrook, Ill., recently under- the local school district. "We decided tc
<br /> •
<br /> went a complete face-lift. Old s " remove all slides and swings over 8 feel
<br /> wooden equipment was replaced with aimp, high and replace them with lower, mul-
<br /> new apparatus, including a "rib- _ tiple-use equipment designed to handle
<br /> bon" slide that helps children build 18°� '` y k more youngsters," says James McCord,
<br /> upper-body strength. A protective A director of parks and recreation. The
<br /> synthetic playground surface also �', r� ! past two years, Duluth has spent more
<br /> was installed.
<br /> 'tea '- than $150,000 replacing pl ound
<br /> The cushioning properties of the 1 _ equipment and covering pl ound
<br /> patented Breakfall system meet orltr �, � surfaces with sand.
<br /> exceed the proposed standards set i",�,�.�1 � i Bob Hannis, associate director of
<br /> forth by the Consumer Product 1 $ '��•.. + t a .► recreation for Duluth, says, "The
<br /> Safety Commission, according to the 40' - - $ mow: ... mayor wanted the playgrounds to go
<br /> 1- '--
<br /> manufacturer. In the past, the prob- A',-��� with the settings of the park. Safety
<br /> lem with synthetic surfaces was the • ��4- - • w ,:--1.,,, played a big part in redesigning the
<br /> lack of shock absorption, but the a-C4'.. ..1..- ' '....1,....13'.'"`J�.. playgrounds, which had not beer
<br /> new Vorthbrool nstallation.passes K changed in 25 years."
<br /> the guidelines from a height of 11 -`" + Cincinnati developed a hazard index
<br /> feet. after evaluating playground surfaces
<br /> The synthetic surface replaces and equipment heights during a park
<br /> wood chips, which had been used ►e ,� survey in June 1986. Jess Parrett, assis-
<br /> since the school's inception in 1979. =�' tant superintendent for technical ser-
<br /> Though they initially were satisfac- A "ribbon"slide was installed to vices of the Cincinnati Recreatior
<br /> tory, the wood chips required regu- help children build upper-body Commission, says the city would have
<br /> lar maintenance. Jordan Bock, strength. to spend $6.5 million to upgrade it,
<br /> Northbrook School District 31 busi- parks by replacing each playgrounc
<br /> ness manager, says, "We found the sand, wood chips or pea gravel, the surface with safety matting•
<br /> wood chips would decay and even- new surface is designed to withstand Cincinnati's budget has been re
<br /> tually turn to mud. We, therefore, repeated impact/recovery cycles. stricted since the initial evaluation: Par-
<br /> needed to replace the wood chips Made of Uniroyal's Ensolite foam rett's 1987 capital-improvement budget
<br /> every year." pad, the surface is topped with rub- was $150,000, and is only $75,000 for
<br /> Another problem was the cold 11- ber that resists scratching, peeling 1988. "This forces us to prioritize,'
<br /> linois winter. "The wood chips and warping, while inhibiting mois- Parrett says. His crews are testing bark
<br /> would freeze, becoming sharp, haz- ture penetration. mulch and synthetic matting to deter
<br /> ardous objects," says school princi- According to Heiberg, parents in mine which is best suited to replace cur-
<br /> pal Marilyn Heiberg. "We were, of the Northbrook community near the rent playground surfaces.
<br /> course, concerned with the children Winkelman school seem glad the So far, their studies have not yielded
<br /> playing in the playground with the town took time to make the play- any definitive answers. "W still
<br /> wood chips in this state. With this ground safer. "We are seeing more waiting for that one best I. ct,"
<br /> new surface, the children are free to and more parents bringing their chil- Parrett says. He estimates synthetic
<br /> play all year round, weather permit dren to play at our school play- products range from$7 to$8 per square
<br /> ting." ground after hours, when the school foot and have a 10-year life span, while
<br /> Unlike natural products, such as is closed," Heiberg says. 0 bark mulch costs $3 per square foot.
<br /> but needs to be raked regularly.
<br /> 46 American City&County/February 198
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