The playground should be every child’s favorite spot – a place they can explore freely and safely above all things.
To make sure this is always the case, companies who design, build and maintain playgrounds are required to follow Australian Standards for Playgrounds at all times.
In this article, we’ll explain some of the most crucial aspects of these Standards to help you understand the document fully and without much trouble.
So, without any further ado, let’s get right to the bottom of it!
1. What do these standards include, exactly?
Australian Playground Standards include everything that’s placed inside of an area that is designated for children’s play. That includes everything from the landscaping features and natural elements surrounding the site, to the equipment and tools children use for their play purposes.
The only thing that isn’t „covered“ by these guidelines is fitness equipment, which falls under its own special standard. Even though fitness equipment and related tools aren’t a common part of children’s playgrounds, it’s certainly worth the mention.
2. The standards are updated regularly
Inspections are frequently conducted at playground sites throughout the country to ensure everything complies with the current Standards for playgrounds. The inspectors will usually carry out a risk assessment analysis to determine what the next steps are when it comes to irregularities such as old or outdated playground equipment.
3. The purpose of the Standards
As we’ve already mentioned before, the main purpose of these strict rules and regulations is to provide a safe environment for children who visit the playgrounds. They are crafted by experts to minimize risks of injury on the playground.
You can find more details about every singular standard online, so make sure you’ve examined them thoroughly if you’re planning on doing playground-related work any time soon.
4. There are special rules for Supervised Early Childhood settings
All general rules explained in the document apply to supervised childhood settings as well, but some SEC-specific regulations shouldn’t be ignored. These include special requirements related to movable equipment, protection against falling, and free height of fall. Consider reading up on them if your project fits the SEC settings category.
5. Standards should serve as a guide
Australian playground standards should be taken as a guidebook, not as absolute rules. They exist to ensure the safety of everyone participating in on-site activities, but they tend to be too general at times, considering that every project is unique. This is especially true when it comes to the regulation of natural elements surrounding the playground. That is why there are frequent risk assessment analyses done by experts and inspectors on every playground in the country.
The bottom line
All in all, Australian Playground Standards are important documents that contain requirements and guidelines related to all playground work, including installments, equipment manufacturing, landscaping, and more.
We hope our article helped you understand the purpose of these documents a bit better and we wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors.
