Worried About Safety Hazards In Your Playgrounds? You Can Address Those Issues With Artificial Grass

Posted by Sunburst Landscaping on June 13, 2017
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You Can Make Playground Surfaces Much Safer with Artificial Grass

For a family looking for a place where their children can roam around freely and enjoy themselves, there is no place better than a public playground. It is essentially a play area where children can safely go on various ‘adventures.’ Not to mention, it’s also a great place for them to be able to meet some new friends. And while playground spaces throughout the country look inviting and fun, they can be made even safer with the use of artificial grass.
The appeal of having a playground area in any community never gets old. However, unforeseen danger can also be present in spaces like these when they are not properly designed. In fact, as many as 200,000 children ages 14 and younger end up in the emergency department each year due to a playground-related injury. Even more alarming, more than 20,000 of these children are treated for serious injuries.
Unlike other play area surfaces, synthetic grass is both more durable and safer for children. In fact, there are a number of playground hazards that synthetic grass can readily address to help lessen safety risks for all the children in the community.
You Can Make Playground Surfaces Much Safer with Artificial Grass

Improper Playground Surface

Over the years, playgrounds have gone through several kinds of surfaces. These include rocks, cement, brick, stone, gravel and even natural grass. The problem with all these is that none of them are really appropriate to be used on playgrounds. In fact, they can also cause some serious abrasion injuries especially when the children become quite active during playtime.
In contrast, synthetic grass can surround the entire playground with a soft surface, giving children much needed injury protection from cuts or abrasions. Not to mention, this kind of grass makes running around much more comfortable especially for younger children with very delicate and sensitive feet. 

Inadequate Fall Zone

In every playground, an effective fall zone must be established. The fall zone refers to the area right under and around all of the playground equipment. Ideally, it should extend a minimum of six feet in all directions around the equipment. Moreover, it should also offer a protective surfacing material that can help prevent serious fall injuries. Unfortunately, it is estimated that only 25 percent of public playgrounds have impact-absorbing surfaces around their playground equipment. This may be the reason why 70 percent of playground equipment-related injuries involve a child’s fall to the surface.
With artificial grass, you can choose one that comes with a FallSoft Technology to create an effective fall zone. This technology readily provides additional protection and cushioning against any fall that occurs from more than five feet. And because it absorbs impact, it can significantly lessen the risk of serious injuries. 

Trip Hazards

What most public playground developers fail to address is change in vertical height between the playground area and the concrete surface next to it. To be as safe as possible, there should be no drop between the two surfaces. The problem is, most playground surfaces do not address this requirement. In contrast, installing synthetic grass around this play area ensures that there is an even transition from the concrete edge to the synthetic grass to help keep children from getting tripped as they leave the playground. 

Worn Out Surface Material

A lot of surface material on playgrounds tend to get worn out easily. And when they deteriorate and even chip away, they can pose safety risks to the children playing. With synthetic grass, this would never be an issue as it is durable enough to stay in good condition for many years. It is also very easy to maintain too so that playground staff can easily give it a good clean before any child comes to play in the morning.
It should also be noted that with synthetic grass, children will be able to access the playground safely all year round. And because they get to be active 365 days of the year, this could contribute to bringing down the rate of childhood obesity in the country. Indeed, not only is synthetic grass a safer option for a children’s playground, it’s the healthier choice too.

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Sources
12 common playground hazards, rulesoftheplayground.com
What Are the Benefits of Installing Children’s Playground Equipment?, livestrong.com
Playground Injuries: Fact Sheet, cdc.gov