Early Childhood Safety Guide #5 - Playgrounds

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Use this checklist to find hazards. Whenever a hazard is found, fix it if you can. If you cannot fix it, make a note of it and plan to get it fixed. Safety checks should be done at least once a month. Having different people do the safety checks helps find more hazards. The more people who are involved in watching for hazards, the more they will help fix hazards whenever they see them. Safety is everyone's business!

Yes No

_ _ The playground offers a wide range of parallel and interactive activities.

_ _ All surfaces underneath play equipment are covered with 10 to 12 inches of impact-absorbing material such as sand, wood chips, or pea gravel, or with a manufactured energy-absorptive surface which is under and extends at least 6 feet on all sides of the equipment.

_ _ Surfaces are raked weekly to remove litter, sharp objects, and animal feces.

_ _ Stagnant pools of water ...