The summer holidays are underway and families are on the hunt for the best places to take their little ones to burn off that extra energy. For leisure settings this means a big surge in tiny tots and playful parents heading their way to spend time, and money, together.
Last month we talked about some research we conducted, asking families what they look for in a leisure setting. The results were strongly in favour of playgrounds, with 77% of families saying that a good quality playground or outdoor space was very important when choosing a site to visit.
So what does this means for leisure sites over the summer? Ensuring your playground is good quality is more than installation and design, it’s about the upkeep too. We’ve put together a checklist of 5 ways to carry out routine playground inspections during the busy summer period.
1. Tighten those nuts and bolts. There are a few maintenance tips and tricks that you can carry out yourself to ensure there are no nuts left loose. For the simple maintenance tasks we are most frequently asked, we’ve put together some ‘how-to’ videos to guide you through the basics. You can watch them here.
2. Make the most of down time. As much as they’d like to, the children aren’t going to be able to play on the playground 24/7. Make the most of the time that they’re not climbing and clambering and set up a daily list of small checks to do once play time is over. By doing the checks little and often, it helps stop bigger problems arising later.
3. Get all hands on deck. Wherever possible, train as many members of staff as you can to carry out small checks. Keep training consistent so everyone knows the standards you expect. During the busy summer period, a member of staff may not have time to carry out the checks every day so having a variety of people who can will ensure you keep on top of your safety. Find out how Playforce can help train your staff for maintenance tasks here.
4. Call in an expert. While there are checks you can carry out yourself, for full peace of mind it’s advisable to call in the experts. We always advise that post-installation inspections should be carried out with a full report, delivered by an independent RPII-certified inspector. This way you can guarantee that you are up to date with the latest health and safety standards. If you’d like to organise one through Playforce, you can find more information here.
5. Think about the long term. The key to routine inspections is in the name - it should be a routine. At Playforce, we offer a number of inspection packages to suit all spaces and budgets. These can be organised annually with an independent RPII-certified inspector, and can also include training of a member of staff so you can carry it out yourself in the future.
If you have any questions about carrying out routine playground inspections during the summer, or any time of year, contact us on 01225 792660 or email sales@playforce.co.uk.