Playground Surfacing
Safe Kids Canada was founded in 1992 by Dr. David Wesson, a surgeon at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children who saw the devastating results of injuries every day. Here are some interesting findings from Safe Kids Canada:
Facts about Playground Injuries
Each year about 2,500 children aged 14 and under must stay in the hospital because they are badly hurt from falls on playgrounds.
Deaths from playground injuries are rare. 18 playground deaths have been reported since 1982. 17 of these deaths were the result of strangulation when drawstrings, skipping ropes, scarves, or loose clothing became entangled in playground equipment or fences, or when a child wearing a bike helmet got his or her head trapped in an opening in playground equipment. The other death was the result of a serious head injury.
About 4 out of 5 hospitalizations for playground injuries result of broken bones. About 14% are the result of head injuries, while the remaining 5% are for injuries such as dislocations and open wounds. Head injuries are some of the most serious injuries that can occur on the playground.
Who Gets Hurt on the Playground?
For most injuries, boys are injured much more often than girls (63% males injured versus 37% female). But this is not the case with playground injuries. Boys have only a slightly higher risk for playground injuries than girls (53% males versus 47% females).
→ | 5 to 9 year olds may have the most exposure to playgrounds, both in their communities and at school. |
| → | Older children also like to test their limits, which can put them at greater risk for injury. |
Young children (between ages 1 and 4) are still at risk for playground injury. → | 1 to 4 year old are often injured because they are still developing their balancing and climbing skills, putting them at risk for falls. |
Application Description and Comparison
Tests determined how high a child could safely fall into a layer of covering six inches deep. Here's how Rubberific Mulch and NuPlay Nuggets rate among other popular mulches.
Critical Heights (in feet) of Tested Materials of 6" Depth
For all materials other than Rubberific Mulch, NuPlay Nuggets and Rubber Tiles, these critical heights lessen over time as the material is compressed. However, Rubberific Mulch, NuPlay Nuggets and Rubber Tiles will not compress, providing years of safe play. Rubberific Mulch, NuPlay Nuggets and Eco-Flex Tiles & Pavers come with a manufacturer warranty of 10 years.
Overview:
Safety - One of the most important benefits of Rubberific Mulch and NuPlay Nuggets is the safety that it provides to children. Our Mulch and Nuggets are completely free of steel belts. Every year about 28,000 children go to the hospital with injuries related to recreational equipment, according to the Canadian Pediatric Society. Many of those injuries are fractures that need to be sent to the operating room. The U.S. Product Safety Commission cites falls to surfaces under and around playground equipment as a contributing factor in more than 70% of the reported 2000,000 incidents. While yet 80% of playground surfaces were to some degree inappropriate. Surfaces that should never be found around playground equipment include asphalt, dirt, and grass.
ADA Accessible - Rubberific Mulch and NuPlay Nuggets provide an ADA compliant material so that everyone can play on the playground. The product is also very easy to install unlike other surfaces that are wheelchair accessible. Once the product is installed the maintenance is minimal, such that you won't have to replace the material ever again because it will not decompose.
Clean - Rubberific and NuPlay enables children to stay cleaner when jumping and falling on the surface because it will no create dust, decompose, rot or absorb water. Because the product is made from rubber the surface will not get dusty like wood chips will when they break down.
Cost Effective - Rubberific Mulch and NuPlay Nuggets are very cost effective compared to the time and money that it takes to replace a playground surface. With Rubberific's and NuPlay's great rating for fall heights, you only need approximately half the depth to equal the safety of materials such as wood chips, gravel and sand.
Made from recycled tires
IPEMA Certified Products
Updated May 16, 2008
