When playgrounds and parks are not being used for fun and activity, facilities managers can take time to focus on the maintenance and safety of the outdoor environments where children play. Ensuring safety measures are in place to protect kids is a wonderful task to complete to celebrate National Playground Safety week starting on April 27th.

Parks and playgrounds help children learn and develop in a physical environment but being safe is the main goal that should be taken into consideration for these areas. Often made of metal, plastic or wood, playgrounds and indoor playscapes are built to withstand the weight of jumping and running children. These surfaces can be unforgiving, so it is important that we protect and cover equipment and grounds to reduce potential injuries.

Armacell’s foam tube and padding products can be wrapped around any hard surface or sharp edge to negate the risk of scraped knees, bumped heads, or broken bones. Armacell’s OleCell® tubular foam is a polyethylene padding with a wear resistant outer layer that is an ideal protection choice for playgrounds, especially for encasing poles, fencing, rails and linear supports. Our polyethylene foam padding with a co-extruded tough outer skin stands up to the most demanding applications for years of outdoor protection and fun in the sun.

OleCell CE 180 Benefits and Features        

  • Weather proof and UV resistant for outside installation in any weather
  • Flame retardant for indoor installations
  • Easy to clean and mold resistant
  • Light weight, and installs easily in new construction or retrofit
  • Recyclable materials

Armacell’s ArmaSport® turf underlayment PVC/NBR elastomeric padding is another great choice for playground surface areas to protect against hard falls. ArmaSport padding cushions indoor and outdoor playing surfaces while providing consistent shock absorption across the length of the area. This innovative solution also has a built-in, state-of-the-art drainage system to ensure efficient water removal after inclement weather.

ArmaSport Benefits and Features

  • Manufactured with an antimicrobial protection against fungi, mold and bacteria
  • Ridge pattern available for enhanced drainage
  • Tested to ASTM F355 and FIFA 2 Star test methods
  • Low phthalate levels that meet CPSIA / CPSC Improvement Act of 2008
  • Does not contain formaldehyde and meets the global REACH and RoHS

Applications

  • Indoor or outdoor playgrounds or playscapes
  • Protection for batting cages, goal posts, and field hockey, soccer, and baseball fields
  • Amusement parks, ball pits or sport complexes
  • Fencing, gate, guardrail or scaffolding padding

For more information about the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS), please visit www.playgroundsafety.org. This organization helps raise awareness about S.A.F.E. and healthy play spaces for children.