Still Have Questions?

+ Are you Licensed, Insured & Registered to do business in my area?

YES! Insurance coverage for certified inspections, audits & cleaning can be difficult to obtain but thanks to Keith's 21+ years of experience and industry related qualifications Playground Patrol carries Professional Liability, Errors & Omissions and General Liability coverages.

+ Is Playground Patrol Accredited?

YES! Keith has been a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPS) in good standing since 1999. In addition to that he has worked in sales, design and commercial playground manufacturing for over 20 years. You'll be hard-pressed to find someone with more well-rounded industry experience.

+ Who does Playground Patrol work for?

We work for YOU - the owner or owner's representative! Inspectors that are employed by the equipment manufacturer or even a different manufacturer or suppliers are at risk of being biased in their inspections in order to protect their company or condemn a competitor. At Playground Patrol we're looking out for YOUR best interest.

+ What if we can't afford audits, inspections, comprehensive maintenance plans or a safety program?

Really, the question should be, “Can you afford not to?” Children's safety, health, and yes, even their lives, depend on compliance to all applicable rules and regulations. Lawsuits due to negligence cost MANY TIMES the cost of the audits, inspections, etc. You are much more LIABLE without an audit and a safety plan!

+ What is the best way to start?

Start with auditing selected sites so you can show you are doing your best to reach your end goal of having hazard-free recreational areas. Take care of your highest priority hazards first! Then handle the lower priority ones - possibly in the next budget year if you cannot handle it all at once any other way. With an active Comprehensive Maintenance Program in place you can not only rest assured that your site will be hazard free but you may also save money on your insurance premiums!

+ Do we really need to clean the playground? Won't Mother Nature take care of that?

Ew, Gross! … YES, you need to clean your playground! People often assume that because outdoor playground equipment is exposed to sunshine and rain, as well as other elements, it is clean. This is a misconception. Children who climb, slide, crawl, push, pull, swing and contact playground surfaces may be exposed to germs, bacteria, debris, and just plain disgusting things at higher levels than you may expect, and have the potential to induce illness. Germs and bacteria can live on surfaces for long periods of time. Little hands, feet or other parts that contact contaminated surfaces can spread illness. About 80% of infections are spread through hand contact. In fact, testing was conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona on a number of environmental surfaces in public areas such as offices, daycares, stores, gymnasiums, airports, movie theaters, and restaurants, as well as personal items. Of the 1,061 environmental surfaces tested, the most contaminated were from children’s playground equipment and daycare centers. Tested playground equipment was contaminated with bacteria at a higher level than the public restrooms!

+ Our equipment is practically brand new, do we really need it Inspected?

YES! While most manufacturers, suppliers and installers do a good job of complying with the Standards and Guidelines, an independent 3rd party audit is the right way to confirm compliance for your own well being and record-keeping. This way, if errors were made you can have them corrected promptly and under warranty. There are still many times when brand new installations need to have changes made in order to comply. Highly detailed inspections - "Audits" are the appropriate way to start your Comprehensive Maintenance Plan for every new playground. Our audits are performed purely with the safety and well-being of YOU, the owner, and your users in mind. An audit will scrutinize each piece of equipment, the surfacing and entire play environment based on ASTM & CPSC standards & guidelines. With a compliant audit from Playground Patrol in hand, you can not only rest assured that your site is hazard-free, but you may also save money on your insurance premiums!

+ How often do we need to have them inspected? Can we just do it once a year?

Not if you want to comply with regulations. You should start by obtaining & strictly following the equipment manufacturer's maintenance instructions and recommended inspection schedules. If manufacturer's recommendations are not available, a maintenance schedule should be developed based on actual or anticipated playground use. Frequently used playgrounds will require more frequent inspections and maintenance. According to CPSC, a Comprehensive Maintenance Program (CMP) should be developed for each playground. All playgrounds should be inspected for excessive wear, deterioration and potential hazards. But inspections alone do not constitute a CMP. Any problems found during the inspection should be noted and fixed as soon as possible. (All repairs should be completed following the manufacturer's instructions). The surfacing should be maintained regularly to ensure displaced loose-fill is raked back in its proper place so its depth is consistent and level. Equally important is Recordkeeping. Records of all maintenance inspections and repairs should be retained, including the manufacturer's instructions and checklists used. A record of any accident and injury reported should also be retained. All of this is part of any good CMP and will keep the children using the equipment safer and protect you if you ever end up in court.

+ Our equipment is older so it's "Grandfathered In" right?

There is no such thing as being "Grandfathered In" for playground owners/operators. Manufacturers do NOT have the duty to update or modify equipment that is already sold IF it was in compliance with the current Standards and Guidelines at the time of sale. Some ASTM Standards and CPSC Guidelines are considered "common knowledge" by now for most entities (owner/operators), and sometimes considered the "Standard Practice" (which can dictate the "Standard of Care") and you should make the effort to comply. You are NOT exempt from complying with the current Standards and Guidelines. You are also responsible for keeping up with whatever changes take place in those Standards and Guidelines. Remaining current with any changes in guidelines can reduce your liability as well. Some states have adopted CPSC and/or ASTM into law (Virginia & New Jersey, for example), and some entities have even adopted these into their own laws or rules. Even in states where these guidelines haven’t been codified into law, they can be considered “established norms.” So don't wait until an accident occurs (and before it becomes law) to find out that you are still liable and at an extremely high risk! Use the rules to your advantage by complying with them and using them as a Defense.

+ Can't we just ignore the Standards & Guidelines since nobody has been hurt on our playground yet?

This means "living with the hazards on my playground", and NO, it's not worth it. Children should not be exposed to any hazards, especially LIFE-THREATENING HAZARDS! Go as far as you possibly can with safety and MAKE THE EFFORT! It means an immediate reduction of exposure to hazards for the users, and reduces your liability for the least cost when you identify and repair (or dispose of as a LAST resort) the High Priority Life-Threatening Hazards, followed by the Lower Priority issues, etc., etc. Then, if an accident does occur, you can demonstrate that you were concerned enough to hire a third party auditor. It can make a difference in exposure if an accident lands you in court.

+ Our supplier said the equipment is IPEMA Certified, doesn't that cover us?

Not entirely. Playground Patrol strongly recommends IPEMA certified products! But keep in mind that although an IPEMA certification is a great start, it only promises compliance to most (not "all") Sections of ASTM. It does NOT verify compliance to any of the CPSC Guidelines with which you must also comply. IPEMA shows compliance according to how the unit was set up at the time of assembly at the plant, on the individual components. You might actually have it designed or installed differently than what was tested, and therefore be out of compliance. It also does not take into consideration human error in manufacturing, shipping, installation, etc. Only a third party auditor can check for true compliance ON site.

+ Are all Audits & Inspections the same?

Absolutely not. Unfortunately, we've seen some inspections that merely touch on a few common playground hazards. These superficial inspections are actually quite dangerous as you may rely on them for safety & liability sake putting the Owners & children using the equipment in harm's way. Are they using checklists that are thorough and updated with the most current ASTM Standards and CPSC Guidelines that lists everything there is to check for? Perhaps more importantly, do they have the correct interpretation of the standards and guidelines? Promises can be made, but don't find out the truth the hard way. At Playground Patrol you can take comfort in knowing that we are using state of art software created by the architect of the Industry Standards and co-founder of the National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI) along with other highly acclaimed Industry Leaders. You'll have a report with recommendations or solutions that you can do something with versus a vague or incomplete report that leaves you / the owner wondering what to do or where to turn next.