Monday 25 November 2013

Prevent Injuries From Play Equipment



The safety of children should be a top priority when considering which play equipment you want to purchase for your property. Never, ever buy equipment from manufactures that are not using designs engineered and tested to be child friendly. As the play equipment industry continues to explode, there are a lot of untested and fly-by-night companies that are showing up on the internet landscape. It is up to you to differentiate between someone who throws up a photo of their product but does little to back up their safety claims and a company who builds their products around the protection of children.

Choosing the right piece of play equipment involves making sure that the items are designed to withstand the harsh abuse they will encounter through general use. They should be built with tolerances that go beyond normal wear and tear, and it is important to get products that will stand up to the test of time. Make sure that you purchase your product from a company that has a return policy in case you are not happy with the result after you assemble the components. You also want to make sure that your new piece of equipment is “rock solid” before you let any child jump in and start playing. 

Remember that your playground will be outside, facing the same elements that your home faces. Wind, rain, snow and temperature changes over the course of time can seriously impact any outdoor furniture or equipment. You want to make sure that connections remain secure and that parts and components will not be prone to excessive wear and tear over time. There will always be routine maintenance and upkeep that you will need to perform, and it is important that you remember to inspect the play equipment on a periodic basis and fix problems as they arise.

Aside from making sure that the structure itself is safe and secure, you want to make sure that the overall environment is designed to minimize or eliminate injury as well. Accidents will happen. Kids will fall, bump their heads or scratch themselves from time to time. This is just a reality of play that most parents expect. But, there are things that you can do in order to minimize the effects of these things happening. Padding floors, creating crash and fall zones that will reduce impact force and allowing ample space to run around are all examples of things that you should in conjunction with setting up an outdoor play area.

An outdoor playground is meant to be fun and enjoyable, promoting exercise as well as creativity.  Help your kids to make the most of the experience by creating a safe and secure environment. Don't take anything for granted, and it's always better to err on the side of caution than to regret not doing more after an injury occurs. Keep safety a top concern for your children, and always ensure that steps are taken to minimize the risk of injury do to accidents or throughout the normal course of play.

Author Bio: Paul is a member of the Country Cubbies team dedicated to making safe and secure play equipment for children. Country Cubbies is Australia’s leading cubby house manufacture.

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