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Playground Inspection Program

General Information

The Safety & Equipment Inspector is the only staff member that has the ability to remove a playground unit from use. If equipment is found to be unsafe, temporary fencing will be installed to indicate it isn't safe to play on. Temporary stoppages in the use of the equipment, due to COVID-19 protocols, should not include application of caution tape on the playground equipment. If the site wishes to make equipment temporarily unavailable to students, place caution tape around the shade structure posts and ensure proper supervision to indicate the equipment shouldn't be used.

The current playground inventory for CCSD is just over 700 playground units. Typically, you will have three units per school. Units are designed to be age specific.

All equipment must meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications as well as the National Program for Playground Safety standards (www.astm.org and www.cpsc.gov)

The Safety and Equipment Inspection section of Risk Management consists of one individual who is a Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSI). In order to maintain certification, all hazards and resulting injuries must be addressed.

The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) is the regulatory agency that is required by Statute to inspect each playground every six months. Our Safety and Equipment Inspector works with SNHD to determine if closure of a playground is required or if emergency repairs can be made to continue use. (Section 5 of SNHD School Inspection Report)

Damaged equipment or surfacing should still be reported utilizing a work order so that the CPSI certified inspector can conduct a thorough inspection and determine the ability to repair. Based on the extent of damage, Facilities will determine how to proceed with repairs or replacement.

Monthly Playground Inspection Report

Electronic submission of monthly reports is coming soon! Check back for link.

Inspector Considerations

The Unit Condition: The evaluation considers the current condition of the equipment and safety surfacing condition. Several of our older units are still in great condition due to the care they receive from the school staff and community. Therefore, even though they are old, the better the condition the lower on the matrix score for replacement.

The Age:  The age of the equipment is a key factor because the parts are only available for a short period of time. Parts are not readily available for units that are over fifteen years of age.

Frequency:  Use has a direct correlation with the condition of the units. Typically, equipment that is open and available for use all the time by students and community partners has more wear and tear than other units. In addition, equipment used without CCSD supervision increases our liability exposure as we have a duty to keep the equipment free from hazards.

Certified Playground Safety Inspections (CPSI) and Head Injury Criterion (HIC): Tests are performed by our certified inspector to evaluate the playground for potential safety issues or critical injury. These tests measure the potential for and severity of an injury.

Availability Playground units that have been fenced off or closed by the SNHD receive priority because we understand the importance of having equipment available. Every effort is being made to keep these units open for use until replacement.

For questions about the matrix prioritization, please contact Steve Johnston, Safety Coordinator, at 702-799-6496 ext. 5650 or at safety@nv.ccsd.net.

Common Reasons for Playground Closure

• The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) is the regulatory agency that is required to inspect each playground every six months. They will close a playground or a portion of the playground for any life safety issues observed.

• Old equipment that cannot be replaced will cause closure to the entire unit if that area cannot be isolated from use.

• Playground falls are the number one cause of playground injuries. The surfacing must meet minimum standards or be shutdown to prevent critical injuries.

• Surfacing can be tested to determine if it meets minimum standards. Safety and Equipment Inspectors are certified to take these measurements.

• Our Safety and Equipment Inspector works with SNHD to determine if closure of a playground is required per CPSI standards or if emergency repairs can be made to continue use. Every effort is made to keep a unit open until replacement can be completed.

All equipment must meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications as well as the National Program for Playground Safety standards. In addition, equipment can only be replaced with manufacturer approved items which typically are not manufactured for more than 15 years.