There are innumerable kinds of playgrounds available in the market. They come in various forms, themes, sizes, brands, etc. It is easy to get lost in the vast variety of options and go for playgrounds that are not of adequately good quality. With commercial playgrounds, it is even more important to have durable commercial playgrounds as they are used by many children. If they are not built up to the mark, there can be dire consequences. The most recent data presented by the Canadian Institute of Health Information (2016), shows 1841 children in Canada in 2014-15 under the age of 18 required hospitalizations because of a playground injury. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emergency departments treat over 200,000 children 14 years and younger for playground-related injuries in the U.S. every year. The biggest reason for these injuries is the playground design and durability.
Reasons to have durable commercial playgrounds:
- Safety: A lot of children use a commercial playground on a daily basis. Hence, many children’s safety is at stake. A playground is as safe as it is strong. It is imperative to install durable, long-lasting equipment in commercial playgrounds to ensure safety of the little ones. A good durable playground avoids accidents.
- Economical: Having durable equipment makes your playground last long. It eliminates the need of replacing, repairing or changing parts of the existing equipment. This saves cost in the long run and hence, is economical.
- Hassle-free: Once installed, the owners of commercial playgrounds don’t have to get in the hassle of reparation, servicing and installing new equipment if their existing equipment is durable.
- Aesthetics: A durable playground doesn’t go through corrosion, chipping and fading. This maintains the aesthetics of the playground. Children love colorful and attractive looking playgrounds rather than old and faded ones.
Factors to consider for a commercial playground:
- Materials: The material used in playground equipment is the most important factor that determines durability. Look out for galvanized steel tubes with multiple layers of protection against corrosion, chipping and fading. The playground connections should preferably use a factory-installed threaded insert. It can withhold great weights.
- Coatings: Look out for decks that are PVC-coated (Poly-Vinyl Chloride) 12 gauge metal.
All parts shall be cleaned with a 6-stage wash system which uses environmentally safe chemicals and nanotechnology to provide better corrosion resistance and paint adhesion when compared to traditional iron phosphate pretreatment systems. PVC shall also comply with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement act of 2008. - Product Testing: Check whether the equipment has been tested beyond the minimum industry standards and gone through extensive cycle testing on rotating equipment.
Considering the aforementioned factors, it is important to keep all the factors in mind before installing equipment to ensure you have durable commercial playgrounds. Henderson Recreation meets all these standards and also has certifications from ATSM, IPEMA, CSA, CPSC, CWB and ISO 9001:2015. For more information, contact us. We have a few certified playground inspectors on staff at all times to answer your questions on safety and durability.