3 minute read
Playgrounds and Safety
By Kevin McCann, FIHM K.J. McCann and Associates
Many landlords manage family-oriented buildings and have playgrounds that are made available to the children living on the property. The playgrounds can be small or large and they can be designed for specific age groups.
Each year in Canada, over 4,000 children are injured in playground related accidents. In 2016, the Canadian Institute for Health Information reported that 1841 children attended hospitals as a result of playground injuries. The types of injuries included fractures, head injuries, dislocations, etc. While not all injuries are preventable, many of the injuries could be attributed to poorly maintained or outdated equipment. Swings and climbing apparatus are the most common cause of injuries.
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) develops and maintains standards about safe materials, installation, equipment, surfacing, layout, maintenance and other information to help keep children safe in playgrounds. The standard that applies to playgrounds is CAN/CSA-Z614-14. One of the key recommendations in the standard is the regular and systematic inspection of playgrounds. It is recommended that playgrounds be inspected annually, monthly, weekly and even daily. The daily and weekly inspections are more focused on identifying and removing hazards such as glass, sharps, animal feces, etc. while the monthly and annual are more focused on the equipment itself. Inspections can be performed by inhouse staff although some training should be provided to enable the staff to know the details about proper inspection procedures. The Canadian Playground Safety Institute (CPSI) is one example of a company that can provide the training for staff. The CPSI website also makes available a number of forms and useful information for property managers who want to know more about their responsibilities in relation to playground maintenance. As an alternative to using in-house staff
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for inspections, there are companies that can be contracted that specialize in the field of playground design and inspections. Some property managers contract the annual inspection at the start of the season to experts in order to ensure that the equipment is safe to use and subsequent inspections are done in-house by trained staff.
Most people can appreciate that keeping playgrounds safe is a moral imperative. Nobody wants to see a child suffer needlessly. There can also be legal repercussions as landlords can be sued where injuries occur and there is evidence that the playground equipment was not properly designed, inspected or maintained. Some insurance companies require that playgrounds be inspected on a regular basis and that the inspections be documented in order to maintain insurance coverage and avoid potential litigation.
Landords need to be able to demonstrate that they take playground safety seriously. Whether inspections are done in-house or by external sources, it is important that the inspections be conducted on a scheduled basis and properly documented.
In recent years CSA has worked together with the Canadian Coalition for Accessible Playspaces and has created “Annex H” to CSA CAN/CSA-Z614-14 which focuses on making playgrounds more readily useable by young people with disabilities. Landlords who are considering major renovations/repairs or replacement of their playground equipment should be aware of the need to make accommodation and enlist design experts who are familiar with this aspect of playground design.
Kevin McCann, FIHM is the Vice President of the IHM, speaker for the IHM Chat Sessions, conference events and community college instructor. u
Property Management virtual open house
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