Our highest priority, as teachers and parents, are the children safety. Therefore, the playground flooring should significantly reduce the occurrence of injuries by providing a safe and fun environment for our pupils to play in. The playground should be designed to reduce slipping and falling, as well as impact and injuries that result from the falls. One of the most important factors in reducing these injuries is proper playground surface. The playground flooring should be soft and thick enough to reduce the impact of pupils’ fall.
Making school playgrounds safe and entertaining involves following simple safety rules and checking for potential hazards. Proper flooring should reduce injuries and the severity of injuries if and when they occur.
Considerations
There are several essential factors to consider for a schools playground flooring. First, concrete and asphalt are unsafe and hence unacceptable. Similarly packed earth and soil are also unsafe because wear and weather reduces their capacity to cushion pupil in fall. The playground surface should be free of water and debris because they could cause pupils to trip and fall.
Wood chip surface can be used to surface playground. However, wood chips that contain CCA, a chemical made of arsenate copper, it could pose as a health hazard and hence it is not recommended. Rubber mats are among the ideal choices for people with wheelchairs.
If the combined height of the playground and the child in more than 12 feet the flooring is considered unsafe. If possible playgrounds for younger pupils should be separated from those meant for older children.
Ideal Playground flooring for pupils should be:
· Safe- The flooring should be specifically made with material that reduces impact by cushioning trips and falls. Rubber mulch and wet pour are designed with slip-resistant textures to guarantee maximum safety for pupils.
· Durable- A smart choice playground flooring should be long-lasting and practical
· Beautiful and colorful- Good playground flooring should allow you to be creative and design a place that pupils will enjoy playing in. This includes having a wide range of colors
· Fat installation- Ideal flooring option should be weatherproof in the sense that it should allow effective drainage. The playground surfaces are available in several designs and coloring. The most suitable playground safety flooring includes:
– Artificial grass
– Play safe synthetic flooring
– Wet pour rubber surfacing
– Resin bound rubber mulch
If you want an aesthetically appeals playground flooring you can always consider bespoke flooring design option.
Ideal Playground Flooring for Schools
Wet pour rubber
Wet pour rubber flooring is a colorful playground safety flooring that is seamlessly soft. It is available in a wide range of colors and graphics. Wet pour rubber is made from recycled rubber that creates a soft and impacts absorbent playground floor. It is smooth and more helpful when playing sports and games compared to rubber mulch. It can be used in conjunction with markings to create durable and safe pitches and sports courts. Given its available in a wide range of colors, it is common in play areas and public playgrounds. Wet pour rubber us highly durable, maintenance free and free drain and wheelchair friendly. It provides a soft surface and is suitable for games and running around.
Artificial grass
There is a wide range of artificial grass for playground safety flooring. It is robust flooring for sports and plays that provides all-weather surfaces. Artificial grass is soft enough for children to play, fall and walk on. Artificial grass can be installed in a relatively short time.
Rubber Mulch
Rubber mulch is solid but soft playground flooring material that is made from recycled rubber pieces that are bonded together with polyurethane. With an attractive appearance, it looks like natural bark fixed in one place. Rubber mulch is a cost-effective option for playground flooring. Compared to wet pour rubber it is cheaper to install. It actually requires minimum work to install. However, it will not last long as wet pour rubber. Rubber mulch is an ideal loose fill replacement system. It is bonded with polyurethane binder to form an impact absorbing surface. The springy and soft nature of this rubber mulch flooring is ideal for protecting schoolchildren. It creates a soft surface that reduces injury potential for playing children.
Conclusion
Play is essential for a child’s physical, social, emotional and intellectual development. It is therefore prudent to avail safe and nice playgrounds to our kids. There are numerous options for playground flooring. It is imperative to prioritizes children when choosing specific playground flooring. It is advisable to seek services of experts whenever you have playground flooring needs. For more information, navigate here.
