Kris Lawrence, Propel Insurance Annual Conference, Spokane WA

Transcription

1 Kris Lawrence, Propel Insurance 2017 Annual Conference, Spokane WA

2 How Injuries Occur Falls from equipment onto ground Impacts by swings & other moving equipment Contact with protrusions, pinch points, sharp edges, hot surfaces, debris By another child

3 Four Elements of Negligence Duty Owed a standard of care to protect park patrons from unreasonable risk. Damages received injury or damages. Breach of Duty failure to perform to the standard of care. Proximate Cause breach of duty that contributed or caused injury or damage.

4 Dirty Dozen 1. Improper Protective Surfacing 2. Inadequate Fall Zone 3. Protrusion & Entanglement Hazard 4. Entrapment in Openings 5. Insufficient Equipment Spacing 6. Trip Hazard 7. Lack of Supervision- Most Common basis for legal action.

5 Dirty Dozen 8. Age Inappropriate Activities 9. Lack of Maintenance 10.Pinch, Crush Shearing, and Sharp Edge Hazards 11.Platforms with No Guardrails 12.Equipment Not Recommended for Public Playgrounds

6 Supervision Harder than it looks. Environment Blind Spots Manage the area-shrink the play area Action Plan Have a plan with your team- when your attention is needed with a student How do you communicate with the office Who Calls 911 Debrief Incident Reporting, be part of the report What did you see, what didn t you see Where were you standing at the time Equipment Identify using specific identifiers

7 Supervision Be Mobile Be Identifiable Be Aware Be Present Be Prepared Be Calm SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING

8 Supervision Supervisors work in conjunction with the health room - documenting a student injury. It is important to document who was on the playground, what they saw or what they didn t see. Be specific on the type of equipment

9 Underlayment 68% of all playground injuries occur from falls to the ground. Easiest way to prevent injuries. Underlayment: Engineered Wood Chips should be raked regularly and at the appropriate depth. Poured in place rubber..should be on checklist for regular inspection for weak spots.

10 How much underlayment? 12 Inches of properly loose fill material. Compressed, adequate drainage. Ideally compressed with loose fill on the surface Check Underlayment daily. Custodial Staff should rake loose material daily during peak use times.

11 Does the single sand bag stop the soccer goal from falling forward. Secure all soccer goals. If you don t own them require the club secure when not in use!

12 Avoid use of power equipment when playgrounds are in userocks can be thrown by equipment. Loading and unloading of equipment when kids are present also creates a hazard. Avoid when possible.

13 Pea Gravel is inexpensive but a slip hazard when not confined.

14 Outdated Equipment Have a plan in place at district level to replace outdated equipment. Remove old equipment whenever a new piece is put in a playground. Identify those pieces that are not used and remove.

15 Keeping your playgrounds safe. Always install and maintain to the manufactures recommendations. Keep manufacture information for as long as you own the equipment. Document all routine and repair maintenance. Any alterations must have written consent / approval from manufacturer. Have a plan in place for approving any new equipment. Implement a district wide plan for removal of outdated equipment Regularly train staff on supervision techniques. Never accept donated equipment or use residential use equipment on school playgrounds.

16 Daily, Weekly, Monthly Action Plans Daily.Custodian should have a daily routine to check the playground areas before school begins. Daily Playground supervisors should quickly check the site for any hazards, trash, broken equipment. Daily sweep pea gravel off of concrete surfaces to avoid slip/fall hazard.

17 Hazards to Look For Damaged surfacing material Dangerous trash Broken, loose, worn, missing equipment hardware Sharp points, corners, edges Splinters, large cracks, deterioration of wooden equipment Standing water

18 Daily, Weekly, Monthly Action Plans Weekly custodian or maintenance rake out the underlayment if gravel or engineered fiber. Monthly maintenance crew should utilize a monthly playground safety checklist for each site. This document should be kept for the life of the playground.

19 Playground Safety SAFETY CHECKLIST School Name: Toy Ident. # Date: Work Order # INSPECTION DONE BY: DATE: Yes No 1. / / Has the fall cushion, sand, gravel, or wood chips under equipment been compacted or displaced? If yes, explain- 2. / / Are there any foreign objects or obstructions in the fall zones under and around play equipment? If yes, explain- 3. / / Are any concrete footings on play equipment sticking out above ground or not secured? If yes, explain- 4. / / Are there any obstructions in the normal traffic patterns? If yes, explain- 5. / / Are there any sharp edges, broken parts, or loose bolts? If yes, explain- 6. / / Does any fastening devices need to be closed to prevent entanglement? If yes, explain- 7. / / Are there any frayed cables, worn ropes or chains that can pinch? If yes, explain- 8. / / Is any wood part rotting, splitting, and insect infested or excessively worn? If yes, explain- 9. / /Does any play equipment need refinishing (sanding, painting)? If yes, explain- 10. / / Does the playground fence and borders need repaired? If yes, explain- 11. / / Are there any pools of contaminated water in the playground? If yes, explain- 12. / / Are there any holes, which could cause a fall on the playground? If yes, explain- 13. / / Does the grass, trees or shrubs need care? If yes, explain- 14. / / Are there any other fixtures/structures in the playground area that are not in good repair? If yes, explain-

20 Control the Process Parent Groups Fund Raise Include underlayment costs District Pre-approved vendors Pre-approved equipment Control Installation

21 Identification - Trending Map district playgrounds Identify by type of equipment All swings are S3 (Swing with 3 seats) Student Incident reports should indicate the equipment identifier Trending reports should track by equipment.

22 Routine Maintenance and Inspection Document Document Document