The playground is perhaps the only place, where kids enjoy the most. However, statistics show that every year almost 20, 000 youngsters are injured on the playground. The major affected parts due to such accidents are head and limbs.
Therefore, parents are tensed when their loved ones are playing in the playground. The risk of injury can be reduced if the flooring of playgrounds is done properly. The two safe materials for flooring are rubber mats and rubber tiles. These are quite safe, and help greatly in avoiding the accidents.
There has been an increase in the head injuries and skeletal fractures and security organizations are worried about the safety of kids. Due to increase in the safety concern for kids, while they are playing in the playground, many organizations such as the US Client Merchandise Security Commission (CPSC) and the American Culture for Screening and Components (ASTM) have laid emphasis on proper surfacing of the playground. They have emphasized on using rubber flooring, which will help in reducing the risks of injuries among the kids to a great extent while they are enjoying in the playing field.
Why sand and wood are not suitable for the playground?
There are various types of materials that can be used for flooring, but they are not preferred by people. Wood and sand are quite popular flooring materials, but they are not generally used. The reasons for not choosing wood and sand flooring are mentioned below-
- Sand: It can be used as fillers, but there are certain risks of using this material. Kids can easily remove the sand from the surface while playing, which will make the surface uneven. This again increases the risk of accidents. Moreover, when sand is wet, it becomes quite tough, and children may get injured if they fall while playing. Besides, when the sand particles enter the eye of the tiny tots, it can lead to a lot of trouble. Therefore, sand is not used for flooring the playground.
- Wood: It is quite preferred material for flooring. However, due to many reasons it is not used for playing fields. Preserving the wooden floor is the most important factor. Lots of efforts are required to maintain the wooden floor. As the maintenance cost is quite high, the wooden flooring becomes a costly affair. Hence, it is not a viable option.
Rubber floors have many advantages over these two materials. They are composed of recyclable rubber, and can be molded into tiles very easily. The material is tough, and is highly competent in resisting injury and shocks. You can also see the Cannons gym mats website and check out some of the latest available types.
Thus, when kids hit the floor or they fall down while playing, they will not get hurt. The surface of the rubber is flat and smooth, which make the playground a comfortable zone for kids to play. Moreover, they are breathable and they can readily absorb the rain water. Thus, kids can enjoy playing even when it is raining without the tension of slipping on the ground.
