Playground maintenance is important in making sure play areas remain safe, secure spaces for children to play and experiment in. Many schools or those in charge of commercial playgrounds may leave routine maintenance until after Winter, whereas getting your appointment booked early means you’re securing your playground to be ready for peak seasons.
It can be intimidating to try and keep track of what measures you should be taking to maintain and protect your playground. This blog will explain why playground maintenance is important, how you can maintain your playground, and how Sovereign can help make the maintenance of your play areas simple.
What does playground maintenance help with?
Keeping Children Safe
Playground managers have a moral and legal responsibility to ensure the safety of the children who use their site. Damaged surfacing, protruding fixings or broken ropes can all result in injuries. These injuries can range from minor scrapes and bruises to something more serious like broken bones.
Ensuring that your play area never falls into disrepair will go a long way in reducing the likelihood of serious injuries.
Protecting Your Investment
Playground equipment and surfacing is an investment, but proper maintenance will can help maximise the pound-per-play value of your equipment. Regularly maintaining your playground equipment and surfacing will prolong its life and ensure it your playground can be enjoyed by children for years to come.
Regular playground maintenance can also save you money by mitigating the need for constant repairs and replacements, as equipment will be less likely to fall into severe disrepair.
Maintaining Quality of Play
Regular maintenance of your playground helps keep equipment and surfaces in good condition and ensures the aesthetic of the playground remains engaging for children. High-quality play environments encourage high-quality play behaviours, meaning children will benefit more from playing in well-maintained play areas.
How do I Maintain my Playground?
Conducting regular inspections is important in maintaining your playground, as they can help identify any issues that need attention before they become hazardous.
Every play area environment is different, each one and should be individually evaluated and risk assessed on several factors, including:
- The typical age of users.
- The physical ability of users.
- The amount of usage the play area gets.
- The location of the play area.
There may also be other factors specific to your site that will need to be considered throughout any inspections you carry out. Not only does the equipment need to be maintained but harsh weather could affect surfacing such as grass, which is important to be ready for Spring. Identifying these areas early is important so as not to disrupt play.
Routine Visual Inspections
Routine visual inspections of your playground should be conducted daily or weekly, depending on how frequently the equipment is being used. For example, recent installations of play equipment will usually see an above-average amount of use due to the novelty of the new additions. During this period, daily inspections are recommended.
Visual inspections focus on examining the basic condition of the equipment for any potential breakages or hazards, identifying any new signs of vandalism or graffiti, and evaluating the cleanliness of the area.
It can be difficult to know exactly what to look for when conducting these routine inspections, so we have put together a visual inspection checklist to help guide you and help you document your inspections for future reference. If you think you would benefit from further training on this, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) offers a one-day playground inspection course that you might find helpful.
Operational Inspections
Operational inspections are more detailed than visual inspections and aim to check the stability and safety of the playground’s equipment, fencing, furniture, and surfacing. These operational inspections should be conducted every three to four months and should only be completed by someone who understands the relevant safety regulations, such as BS EN Standards. Written records of these inspections and their findings should be kept for future reference.
RPII Inspections
It is important that your operational and annual playground inspections are conducted by a qualified inspector. The Register of Play Inspectors (RPII) is the official examination, accreditation, and certification body for play inspectors in the UK. Having accredited inspectors conduct inspections for you ensures that safety regulations are being properly adhered to.
How to Clean Playground Equipment
Keeping your play equipment clean is another way you can maintain your play area and make sure it is an inviting place for children to play. How you clean your play equipment will depend on the substance and material you are cleaning.
Generally, soap and warm water will work well for doing a basic clean of your equipment. Mix warm water with a non-abrasive cleaning solution and use a sponge, washcloth, or mop to wipe down the equipment, putting more pressure on areas where dirt is tightly stuck to the surface. Rinse the piece of equipment with fresh water or a hose, and you’re done.
If a deep clean is needed, you can use white vinegar or bleach to help get rid of more stubborn stains. Make sure to wear protective gear and thoroughly rinse the equipment after cleaning.
Consider cleaning your equipment regularly to avoid build-up of dirt, and do it at times when the play area will likely not be in use. Give the equipment time to air-dry before allowing children to use it again to make sure there are no slippery areas.
How can Sovereign Help with Playground Maintenance?
Our Sovereign Compliance packages offer a complete service for the inspection, reporting, and essential maintenance of outdoor play equipment. This gives you complete visibility on the status of your equipment, notifying you of any issues early before they become larger issues.
We will thoroughly assess the condition of your play equipment and the surrounding environment, highlighting any areas of concern. After each inspection, you will receive a comprehensive report detailing any concerns, along with suggested next steps. Our reports clearly list all of your covered play equipment and include photos of our findings. They also
serve as evidence that you have a complete process in place to protect the safety of children around the equipment.
All our inspectors are fully trained in repairs and maintenance, meaning minor works will be resolved during your inspections where possible. Please note:minor works and repairs will be undertaken during the inspection on Sovereign equipment only, not third party equipment.
“Sovereign Compliance has helped us extend the life of our playground, saving us thousands that would have otherwise gone towards refurbishments. Above all, the regimented reports put me at ease for our children’s safety.” – Paul Davidson, Head Teacher
Contact Sovereign Today to Discuss How we can Help you Maintain Your Playground
At Sovereign, we have over 30 years of experience in delivering specialist play spaces across a variety of sectors.
Contact us online today or call 01702 291129 to discuss how we can help you maintain your play area and ensure it can be enjoyed by children for years to come.
FAQs
How do you maintain a playground?
It is important to regularly maintain your playground to ensure it remains safe for children to use. Some actions you can take toward great playground maintenance include:
- Daily or weekly visual inspections to identify any new or emerging issues.
- Operational inspections every three to four months.
- Yearly inspections carried out by an accredited inspector.
- Staying on top of repairs by doing them as quickly as possible.
- Regularly cleaning your playground equipment and surfaces to avoid build-up of dirt.
Who is responsible for playground maintenance?
The owner of the playground is responsible for its maintenance. This means they should be arranging for regular inspections of their playground equipment and surfaces, as well as organising any repairs that need to be done.
Are playground inspections a legal requirement?
Playground inspections are not a legal requirement. However, it is highly recommended that regular inspections of playground equipment and surfaces are carried out to ensure play areas remain safe spaces for children.
Playground owners have a duty of care to keep children safe, so ensuring their playground is thoroughly inspected and maintained is part of this duty. Arranging for qualified third parties to assist with inspections can be helpful as the inspector will have the appropriate knowledge of health and safety procedures and protocols to help keep playgrounds safe and in good shape.
