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Michelle Ong April 16, 2011

Playground Observation and Safety EDU 235 I chose to observe the Playground at Claude Moore Community Center. It is a public playground which is accessed through a gate or out the doors of the building. Since we are deep in the park we dont get a lot of outside traffic. But, public access has been a concern of many parents. Unfortunately, because it is a county park, it will always have public access. The playground has security cameras and entry into the building requires a key card by staff or the front office buzzing in recognized parents (verified by the camera posted at the door). I have attached a plan which includes the playground equipment, picnic tables, and entries and exits. As I went through the dirty dozen checklist I have made notes of my findings. I have detailed each item below. In cases where pictures were available to show areas of concern, I have included them for visual validation. The first area on the checklist concerns improper protective surfacing. This playground is covered with wood chips under and around all equipment. There are many bare areas and then some areas that are approximately 6 inches deep. I do know that new chips are brought in each fall but, never enough to cover areas up to 12 inches. The picture below shows the bare patches and specifically the lack of protective surfacing directly under the swings (as a result of kids pushing it with their feet). It may be difficult to see up close but if you look at the bottom fence line behind the swings, the mulch is below that in some areas.

The next area addressed is inadequate use zones. That means that exits from slides, tunnels, and the pivot of swings must be free of obstacles. The length of slide must be accounted for when determining use zone. For example, if the slide is 6 feet or less, there must be a 6 foot clearance at the end of the slide. In this playground, I found that the equipment had adequate use zones. The picture of the swing above shows the area behind and in front. I found the playground to be free of the next three items on the dirty dozen check list. There were no protrusions or entanglement hazards, entrapment in openings, or insufficient equipment spacing. In fact, I found that the equipment

spacing was very spacious and provided enough space to allow for many children to be outside without it appearing to be crowded at one particular apparatus. Item six on the checklist applies to trip hazards. As you can see from the photograph below, this concrete slab at each emergency exit creates a hazard as the wood chip level decreases and packs down. This is in a running lane as this is free of equipment and children tend to run where there is no apparent obstacle. This is another photograph showing the low mulch level as well.

The next item on the list refers to the lack of supervision on the playground. I observed the playground on a weekday afternoon following our afternoon preschool dismissal. There were parents who were on their cell phones not even aware of what was going on. Even while I was sitting on the bench wearing my ID badge and then going over to the children and redirecting from throwing mulch and running up the slides, the parents never looked up from their texting. The children were mostly 4 and 5 year olds with their younger siblings. There were a total of 6 children. Having age appropriate activities is the next item on the list. The playground has a sign designating that the equipment is appropriate for ages 2-5. However, it does not indicate which items are for a specific age group. There are several instances where we see parents allowing their 2 year olds to climb onto the large equipment while they are unsupervised. Many times, we are watching and standing by to deal with this, therefore taking our attention off our students. As an employee we feel we are put in a compromising position. Here is the sign posted in one location of the playground. Notice that it states supervision recommended. I think that sends the wrong message. It should state Adult supervision and attention to children required at all times.

The last four items dealing with maintenance, crush, shearing, and sharp edge hazards, platforms and guardrails, and the type of equipment were found to be without any cause for concern. In fact, the playground equipment is free of any broken pieces, warping, extensive rusting, and sharp edges. I do know that management walks the playground daily during the week and our staff report any potential hazards immediately. Overall, the playground appears welcoming and appealing to young children. I believe it has some issues with compliance to the national safety standards. In regards to state licensing guidelines, we tend to get write ups for the wood chips under the swings and the underlining being exposed in areas causing tripping hazards. As staff members, we have concerns that there were no trees planted to surround the playground. Sunshades and large umbrellas were put in to allow for shaded areas. There is still no protection of the playground equipment from the sun. The surface gets very hot during late spring, summer, and into early fall. I work summer camps at this facility and do not allow afternoon play time on the equipment due to burn risks. The other concern I have is that there is no outside drinking faucet. It was determined that since each classroom had a drinking fountain, one was not needed outside. I dont know who made this decision. So, in the hot months, we are either bringing labeled bottled water outside or taking groups of children back inside to get waters. This reduces the supervision outside. Since it is a public playground, it increases the risk of unfamiliar people seeking entrance into the building. It also increases the risk of dehydration if kids feel they need to ask for a drink instead of getting one on their own. On a final note, I personally feel that swings should not be part of a preschool playground. Or, if you are going to have them, put them in an area for the 4-5 year olds with no access to the younger children. Swings for preschoolers cause more harm and the risk outweighs the benefits given the limited supervision. The injuries we have around and on the swings are much higher than any other equipment. Even when we station one person at the swings, there is still bumps, collisions, and falls. I dont let the 2 1/2 year olds on them unless they can get on by themselves and swing themselves (that isnt any at the beginning of the year) and I tell my 3 year olds that they have to know how to swing or find a buddy to push. I think that the children can get their gross motor movement in other ways than a swing. I feel that is something a parent should be watching and allow the children to experience it with the parent using their judgment as to the risk they want their child to take. I am all for swings at a park if parents supervise. I can say that after this assignment, I will never look at a playground the same. I took my daughter to another park and playground and I kept looking at the dirty dozen factors. Luckily, it is a well maintained park and I didnt have any concerns except for the depth of the mulch. This playground did have the rubber mats under the swing so the protective covering was maintained even with the scraping feet. I will be more pro-active about bringing the concerns I find at our preschool playground up to our new management team. I hope they will be more receptive to the concerns about the protective covering issues we continuously have.

canopy
Train

Funbrella

Arch climbing rock


Rocking animals

4-side activity center

Legend:

Area and equipment not to scale ground covering consists of wood chips fence Tables

concrete pads

Doors

gate

playground equipment (all orange)

Playground equipment materials consist of resin/plastic, metal, and rubber

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