Build and Play safety East African Playgrounds adheres to international playground standards to ensure that our playgrounds are of a high quality, safe and fun. As a member of the East African Playgrounds build team it is your responsibility to ensure that you: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Understand every page of this document. Follow all the rules and guidelines set out within this document. Understand how you are going to build the playground. Cooperate and work together as a team with the project managers. As a project manager, be able to manage EAP staff, EAP volunteers and community volunteers.
This document is divided into five parts: • • • • •
Playground preparation. Play safety. Playground construction. Pre-opening checks Play time. 1. Playground preparation
Before you agree to build the playground at the agreed location, have a walk around, inspect the site and talk with the person in charge to ensure it is suitable. Below are a few good questions to ask: Questions Is the potential playground site close to a …
Does the area …
Check rubbish pit main Road sewage toilet kitchen electricity lines water pipes flood when rains have any tripping hazards have enough space to adhere to fall zones
If the answer to any of these questions is yes then you need to consider whether this issue is manageable or not. If is manageable then the playground is fine to be built there, if the issue causes a serious problem, you will need to consider building elsewhere. This checklist should act as a guideline not an exact measurement of whether an area is suitable or not.
East African Playgrounds is a registered NGO in Uganda (9716) and a registered charity in England and Wales (1129244)
2. Play Safety Play structure heights When building any play structure you must always remember that the height you make it must reflect the height of the children who will be playing with it. The best way to do this is to go on your knees and see what things look like (your eyes will then be at child’s level), or find the average sized child at the school to test it out with, you can get a child to come over and help you work out what would be the best height for them. Consider how accessible a play structure is when you are smaller! Safe fall heights The most dangerous aspect of a playground is children falling from height. Monkey bars, fireman’s poles, tyre climbers and slides are the main risks. It is vital that the heights of platforms correct. The playground is designed to be safe at the heights that each platform is supposed to be. It is your job to make sure that the platforms are level and the correct height. If the ground is unlevel then you must work out how to make the platforms a safe height, without being above the designed height. Any platform above 5ft high MUST have railings and soft fall (sand) below it.
East African Playgrounds is a registered NGO in Uganda (9716) and a registered charity in England and Wales (1129244)
Safe fall zones All of our playground equipment has a ‘safe fall zone’. This is stated on the designs and is an area around each part of the play structure that must be a free space with no other obstacle in it such as a tree, termite hill or another part of playground equipment. The safe fall zone must contain soft fall material such as grass or sand.
Example 1: Small Swing
East African Playgrounds is a registered NGO in Uganda (9716) and a registered charity in England and Wales (1129244)
Example 2: Big Swing
Example 3: Seesaw
Example 4: Medium complex
East African Playgrounds is a registered NGO in Uganda (9716) and a registered charity in England and Wales (1129244)
Entrapment hazards Entrapment hazards are spaces in a playground that a child can trap a body part that which they are unable to remove themselves. Often it can be the child’s head as their heads are bigger than their bodies. Other entrapments hazards include finger traps, arm, feet and leg traps. These diagrams show the sizes of spaces as to not become entrapment hazards
Tunnels Tunnels up to 2m in length which are open at both ends on a flat piece of ground must have an internal diameter of at least 500mm. Any tunnel on an angle or any tunnel longer than 2m must have an internal diameter of at least 750mm. Tunnels open at one end only should not be longer than 2m. Should a child become stuck, these dimensions ensure that adult is able to reach and remove the child.
East African Playgrounds is a registered NGO in Uganda (9716) and a registered charity in England and Wales (1129244)
Pinching and trapping These hazards can cause a lot of harm to children and can happen when moving parts of the playground touch either each other or the floor. This means a child could trap and finger, toe or foot in the gap possibly leading to serious injury.
Play safety checklist Questions Before digging foundations 1 Are the fall zones correct? 2 Is the layout fine? Before casting Seesaw Does it have the right fall zone space? Swings Does it have the right fall zone space? Slide Does it have the right fall zone space? Steps Does it have the right fall zone space? Fireman’s pole Does it have the right fall zone space? Climbing wall Does it have the right fall zone space? Tyre climber Does it have the right fall zone space? Other elements Fastenings Are the bolts secure? Gaps Are there any entrapments? Space Do they have the right fall zone space? Before starting to paint Weld Is all of the welding completed? Finishing Has all of the grinding been done? Finishing Are there any sharp edges?
East African Playgrounds is a registered NGO in Uganda (9716) and a registered charity in England and Wales (1129244)
3. Playground construction Tools You will need a range of different tools for a playground Hand tools • Hoes • Pickaxes • Spade • Digging spikes • Hammers • Spanners • Screw drivers • Allan keys • Paintbrushes • Sandpaper Power tools • Drills • large grinders • small grinders • Welding equipment (torches, cable etc) • Power tool generators • Welding generators Cementing It is important that you follow the instructions for foundation depth for each element. The cement ratio is as follows:. 1 bag of cement 2 wheelbarrows of sand 4 wheelbarrows of 1.5-2” aggregate Always mix your cement on a board to avoid water runoff and mixing soil into cement Compacting tyres Some elements do not need to be cemented in. These are mainly the tyre element. Instead of using cement you will need to compact the soil into the foundations and around the tyre. You need to make sure that you do not leave any gaps in the foundation hole. The best way to do this is to use plenty of water and a thick stick such as a hoe or pickaxe handle to push down the soil.
East African Playgrounds is a registered NGO in Uganda (9716) and a registered charity in England and Wales (1129244)
Appropriate safety equipment It is vital that you protect yourself and others when working within the playground site. • • • • •
When welding you must wear a welding mask or goggles, fire retardant overalls, work boots and welding gloves. When using an angle grinder or cutter you must wear gloves, overalls, eye protection and work boots. When digging you must wear work boots and gloves. You must be a safe distance away from other people and objects when using hoes, axes, pick axes and spades.. When cementing you must wear work boots, gloves and masks. When painting you must wear rubber gloves, goggles and masks must be worn by everyone.
Building with volunteers You are responsible for the safety of volunteer’s when building on project and therefore you must ensure that volunteers wear the protective clothing stated above. Volunteers are not allowed to use power tools and must be given a safety talk prior to each stage of the build to ensure they and those around them are safe. Onsite Safety check Action Are all tools and safety gear are present? Are all tool and safety gear in working order? Have the volunteers been given a tool safety talk? Have volunteers been shown how to use tools? Wear face masks when mixing cement Wear safety boots at all times Wear gloves for building and cementing Wear mask when welding Wear overalls when welding Wear gloves when welding Do not leave tools on the ground Wear goggles when painting Wear rubber gloves when painting Wear face masks when painting Drink only clean treated water DO NOT WEAR BLUE EAP SHIRTS TO WORK IN!!
East African Playgrounds is a registered NGO in Uganda (9716) and a registered charity in England and Wales (1129244)
4. Pre-opening checks Tripping Hazards Tripping hazards are any objects on the ground that are difficult to see and could be tripped upon. Trip hazards include rocks covered by long grass, very low walls or bricks, potholes or very small mounds of dirt. These must be removed or if this is not possible made obvious (e.g being painted bright yellow) to decrease the risk of tripping. Sharp edges It is the whole team’s responsibility to make sure that before the playground is painted that there are not any sharp edges, rough areas, holes, nails or bolts sticking out, gaps or unfinished welded joins. Between the building team and welding team the whole playground must be checked to make sure there are not any sharp edge hazards. If there are any hazards then they must be removed before you continue with painting.
East African Playgrounds is a registered NGO in Uganda (9716) and a registered charity in England and Wales (1129244)
5. Play time Before the playground can be opened and the children allowed to play upon it, final checks must be performed to ensure there are no safety issues: Questions Are all welds fully welded? Is the paint finish of a high standard and dry? Are all finger traps covered? Are all the water drainage holes present and big enough? Are the sandpits full to the top? Are the plants planted well? Are there any sharp edges? Is the area cleared of tripping hazards? Has the cementing area been cleared? Have any dangerous objects been removed from the playground area? Have all foundation holes been refilled to the ground level? Have all the tyres been compacted in?
Playground rules A playground is a free space for children to explore, discover and socialise. Before the playground is open it is great to get a group of students and teachers together to discuss what are good manners within the playground. Here are a few examples: 1.
Only do what you feel comfortable doing.
2.
Be kind, don’t hurt anyone.
3.
Be good friends and let others join your games. East African Playgrounds is a registered NGO in Uganda (9716) and a registered charity in England and Wales (1129244)
4.
Be honest, don’t cover up the truth.
5.
Care for your playground.
6.
Do not throw sand.
7.
If something is broken tell the teachers until it is fixed.
8.
Clear any rubbish or rocks from the playground.
9.
Only have one child on the swings at a time.
10.
Do not climb or walk up the slides.
East African Playgrounds is a registered NGO in Uganda (9716) and a registered charity in England and Wales (1129244)