Summer is the most favorable time for many children to go out and play – with school vacation and long days contributing to this uptick. However, some playgrounds and social amenities for children could be hazardous to their health if you don’t know what you are looking for. HOAs, HOA management companies, and playground equipment vendors often take on the responsibility of ensuring the playgrounds are safe for children to play, but to protect yourself and your children, this article addresses various issues you should know about regarding HOA playgrounds during the summer heat in Arizona.
Availability Of Proper Protective Surfaces
The highest percentage of playground injuries are caused by falls on irregular surfaces while playing on overhead ladders, slides, climbers and swings. Before your children go to play outside, you should know if the playground has proper playground surfaces. Those surfaces made of wood fibers, mulch, pea gravel, rubber mats, or wood chips are best but there needs to be an adequate layer to provide the best protection. If there are not appropriate materials or they are scarce, you may consider asking your Chandler HOA management company about them.
Protrusion Hazards
You should be aware of any protrusion hazards which are capable of causing injuries to children while they play as well. Things to look for are catching strings, hooks, trip hazards, and even tree stumps, which might be dangerous to the children. Like playground having good protective surfaces, you are also able to bring up any potential hazards to your HOA management company to ensure they are removed to prevent the occurrence of an accident.
Supervision
In any playground, you should ensure there is the availability of oversights to watch over children who are playing on the equipment. Children who are below four years should not be playing on horizontal ladders and climbing equipment. Make sure that a responsible adult is always there to supervise the children. This can help prevent injury, and adults are capable of determining if it is too hot to play on a particular day.
Severe Heat
Arizona heat is known as a very dry heat, but it can be especially dangerous when it comes to children playing on playground equipment. Uncovered or unprotected jungle gyms, for example, have metal pieces that absorb a lot of heat and have actually lead to burns in some cases. Heat stroke and severe dehydration are other potential issues children may face if they are playing outside in the summer heat. Be sure that you are taking care to keep children hydrated. To combat some of this heat and to ensure the playgrounds are available for use all year round, some communities have installed sun shades above the equipment to provide cooler shading.
Playgrounds and an HOA Management Company in Arizona
Playgrounds are one of the most common and sought after amenities for families in HOAs. During the summer, everybody enjoys being outside, especially younger children. So, ensuring that playgrounds are safe for playing is vital. Your Chandler HOA management company should be properly maintaining the playground equipment to reduce the liability of injury and taking into consideration any additions that could improve resident children’s overall safety at the playgrounds.
