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New Resources for CPSI’s introduced at NRPA Congress
On behalf of the tens of thousands of playground owner/operators who have and will continue to use the contents of Playground Safety Is No Accident as a guide for inspecting and maintaining safer playgrounds, we wish to inform everyone that the new and improved Fourth Edition is finally available.
Today’s playground safety needs are becoming more complex and inspectors need more information and tools to do a more effective and efficient job. Over the years we have identified specific needs from many CPSI’s who took the time to write the author and express their needs. This version includes many of these suggestions. There are a couple of personal stories explaining how the user utilized this book’s content to develop and implement their agency playground safety inspection and maintenance program. Since the last revision there have been several ASTMF1487 revisions and a major revision to the CPSC Handbook that required a complete review and rewriting of the entire text. One of the most important and comprehensive changes will be found in the playground safety compliance audit process. Steve Plumb and Ken Kutska collaborated on many changes and improvements to the old form that many CPSI’s are still using in Microsoft Excel® electronic format. The new form includes all new citation references.
The layout has been completely reformatted and the comprehensive audit process has been revised to reflect current compliance inspection or audit process requirements. The new process will identify non-compliant circumstances and utilizing the hazard risk assessment process as identified in the NRPA Certified Playground Safety Inspectors Course and the most current ASTM Standard and CPSC Handbook. The results of this assessment process will require the inspector to assign a risk assessment Safety Concern Priority. Upon completion of this initial process the inspector and/or playground owner has the responsibility to develop a plan of action necessary to address these deficiencies in priority order. This new form also provides a twenty (20) question section to begin the process of evaluating the entire playground for compliance to the minimum requirements for accessibility in accordance with the July 2004 ADA/ABA Accessibility Guidelines. It does not attempt to qualify a playground as
There is a new High Frequency Inspection Form which will help owner/operators track maintenance and inspection manpower for all types of surfaces. Today’s playground environment often includes many different types of surfacing systems in one site. Having this information can assist in the evaluation of these surface systems over time and help the owner make better purchasing and budgeting decisions for effective and efficient use of your limited resources necessary to maintain their playground safety surfacing in accordance with the ASTM F1487 standard.
Probably the most important and valuable aspect of the PSINA, 4th Edition is the companion CD included inside each book. The CD includes all playground safety related forms and inspections in Adobe format with fill-in fields for recording your actions. These forms can be then copied and stored for further use and reused over and over as needed. The user must have Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 or higher to read and use these forms. Adobe Reader can be downloaded free from the Adobe Web Site. If the user has the Adobe Suite Software the user can create customized inspection forms and save them in specific site history electronic files plus many other things you may need in the future to improve your safety program. All CPSI Course participants now receive a free CD with all the Adobe PDF forms discussed in the book. The National Recreation and Park Association recommends purchase of Playground Safety Is No Accident, Fourth Edition before using the CD electronic forms because the book includes detailed instructions and other staff training materials for those using these forms who have less knowledge, skill, and experience with the forms used in previous editions of this book.
Additional CD’s can be purchased for $25 plus shipping and handling charges.
Other improvements to the book include a glossary of terms to help less experienced playground safety inspectors understand many of the playground terminology so important to the task at hand.
Thanks to the Park District Risk Management Association of Illinois there are two new sections. The first new section is from Monty Christiansen, NPSI Co-Founder, and principle author for PDRMA’s manuscript, Maintaining Child’s Play, which is the major resource document for their newly developed playground maintenance course. This section explains the maintenance needs assessment process. Playground inspections require a consistent, systematic and comprehensive approach to be effective. This section outlines the process to assist the inspector in applying an effective and efficient inspection and maintenance program.
Even with effective playground inspections and timely ongoing maintenance there will be problems. The action taken when a play component fails or when replacement of a damaged component becomes equally important. To assist with this dilemma the next new section suggests various options for taking play equipment out of service. This section was originally written by Steve Plumb, another primary contributor to PDRMA’s Maintaining Child’s Play manuscript. This section is intended to provide a wide array of options to responsibly take play equipment out of service. The options consider taking a piece of play equipment or an entire playground out of service for a very short period of time to considering options when more comprehensive repairs are required over an extended period of time. The goal of this section is to protect the users from injury and the equipment from further damage until the playground can be brought back into compliance.
PSINA has an expanded Appendix providing examples of others inspection forms. David Spease (
The contents of this book provide practical information concerning the subject matters covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the IPSI, LLC, the publisher, author, contributing writers nor the agencies or organizations they may represent are rendering legal advice or other professional service. Both the law and professional standards and guidelines change regularly, and may vary from state to state and from one locality to another. You should consult a competent attorney in your state if you are in need of specific legal advice concerning any of the subjects addressed in this book.
Playground Safety Inspector Worksheets including the sample Playground Safety Compliance Audit and Inspection Forms are intended for voluntary use by anyone who has purchased a copy of Playground Safety Is No Accident to document playground equipment conditions at the time of inspection. Effort has been made to ensure the appropriateness of the forms in relation to best practices for inspecting playground equipment. However, Standards and Guidelines change from time to time and the final determination of the appropriate inspection practices and safety of playground equipment must be determined on a case-by-case basis. In addition, all manufacturer requirements must be strictly followed. Participants of the Certified Playground Safety Inspection Course who have attained CPSI status should, with practice and continued study, become skilled in applying their knowledge in conducting accurate and complete playground safety assessments according to their own frequency as determined by internal policy and procedures. NRPA, NPSI, and IPSI, LLC and the book contributors do not endorse or enforce use of these forms. No certification or “seal of approval” is granted or may be inferred by the IPSI, LLC the authors, its officers, agents, or employees.
That being said, the materials contained in this new edition of Playground Safety Is No Accident are as current as the information available in the ASTM F1487-07ae1 standard and the April 2008 revision of the U. S. CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook.
My web site is www.internationalplaygroundsafetyinstitute.com for credit card orders and I can arrange for purchase orders and invoices if they contact me via email. Thank You!