As a playground advocate, I spend a lot of time working with playground owners. On a daily basis, I am in contact with people who purchase and maintain playgrounds, public and private. A large part of our communication is about playground rules. People want to know, without having to study too deeply, how to make their equipment and play area safe. A common concern among repeat playground purchasers is the fact that playground safety rules are always changing. What was acceptable when they purchased and installed a playground last year may not meet playground guidelines for today. I frequently hear something that runs like this; “What’s with all these rules? Why do they keep changing and making more?”
To be sure, safety and accessibility are two issues that make playground purchasing and ownership a more challenging chore. I doubt anyone questions the need for all children to be able to access and play safely on community playgrounds. The debate comes not in whether or not we should work to provide a safe, accessible play environment, but in how we go about addressing playground safety issues.
Believe it or not, I know people who wish there were no playground safety rules at all. On the other side of the scale, I know people who think we can eliminate all injuries from all playgrounds. These are the two extreme sides of the playground safety issue, and most of us fall somewhere in between. We want children to play hard and play safe yet don’t want our opportunities to produce a great playground dictated by an overabundance of rules.
So, have we gone too far with playground accessibility and safety guidelines? Are there too many rules for playgrounds? Will they just keep making more and more rules?
The playground safety push that began in the early ’70s has brought about volumes of changes for the better. Some 40 years later we stand with a solid set of rules, guidelines, and industry-formed standards that provide a safe approach to the design, manufacture, installation, maintenance, and use of playground equipment.
And yes, there will be more changes coming. We are eagerly awaiting the updated CPSC that will be released in 2008. Also, there are ASTM committees working to solidify established playground safety standards.
Where playground rules move from here depends on the playground industry, playground owners, and playground users. The playground industry must continue to be diligent in the search for stimulating and fun play equipment while all the time keeping safety in the forethought of their design. Playground owners must continue to be sure they design and purchase playgrounds that provide their users with a great play experience and at the same time offer them a safe atmosphere in which to have the experience. The users of play equipment will dictate the way rules move by playing safe or by providing data for research groups that point to safety as still being an issue at our playgrounds.
