Playground Surface Safety
Whether
you're an architect, school or park official or playground contractor, when it
comes to playgrounds there is one thing that is paramount safety. TotTurf® is
more than a quality playground surface, it is a safety surface as well.
Safety Facts
Just to give you an example of what's going on out in our parks and school facilities across the country, we'd like you to take a look at these statistics according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):
- Over 200,000 children a year go to U.S. emergency rooms with injuries related to playground equipment. 79% of the injuries occur when a child falls from the equipment to the ground.
- 34% of injuries occur to children between the ages of 5-14, with a majority taking place on public playgrounds such as schools and parks.
- The statistics showed that harm to hands and arms accounted for 43% of accidents. However in preschool age children, 49% of the injuries were to the head/face.
Falls cannot always be prevented, but having a protective surface can help minimize injury if a fall was to occur. Consider these facts according to the CPSC:
- Wood chip surfacing accounted for more then double the amount of injuries when compared to our pour in place surfacing.
- Over 90% of injuries occurred on public play equipment that had surfaces such as dirt and grass compared to only 9% who had surfaces like poured in place rubber.
- Since most fatal accidents involved head related injuries, the CPSC concluded that "protective surfacing under and around all playground equipment can reduce the risk of serious head injury."
TotTurf® Safety Facts
Safety
is our number one priority when we install TotTurf® surfaces.
This is why we've created the Fall Height Chart, which demonstrates the depth
of TotTurf® required upon installation. For example, an area
with a 12 feet fall height would require 5 inches of buffings put in. Buffings
provide the cushioning effect underneath our premier surfacing. Consider these
facts about why TotTurf® is ahead of the competition.
- Compliant with the accessibility and safety guidelines established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Meets all accessibility and safety guidelines established by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
- Our surfaces have been tested for its shock absorbing properties in accordance with procedures outlined in ASTM F-1292-99
TotTurf® is certified by the Internal Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA), a non-profit organization providing a third party public play equipment and surfacing inspection. Our surfaces have been tested for shock absorbing properties in accordance with procedures outlined in ASTM F-1292-99 standard specifications for impact attenuation of surface systems under and around playground equipment. This ensures that our surfaces are safe and helps minimize an injury if a fall was to occur.
Tinsworth, D. and McDonald, J. (April 2001). Special Study: Injuries and Death Associated with Children's Playground Equipment. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 1-37.
 |
 |
 |
 |
