Why It's Important to Maintain Your Play Areas

Please consider these points below and always seek advice from manufacturers and other suitable bodies.

So, why do you have to maintain your play areas? Simply answered; we attend many sites at the request of council clerks, parish councils and local authorities and we generally find that the play equipment has received little to no maintenance whatsoever. Simple re-tightening of the bolts has been left undone, parts have gone missing or have broken and as a result of this costly parts and repairs are required which could have been easily avoided.

There are quite a few clients who under estimate the costs of safer surfacing. It is important to manage and maintain minor surfacing repairs quickly and efficiently as if they are not dealt with promptly they can lead to larger areas of damage and this unfortunately always results in expensive repairs being carried out. If you find that you have a small area of damage to wet pour, a simple wet pour repair kit can be provided to temporarily repair the damage whilst quotes from companies are sought.

In these tough times, budgets have been reduced and restricted which is why maintaining existing play areas should be high on the list. With play equipment being maintained there is a lot less risk of breakages or permanent damage, which means you won't have to pay out for replacement units. Minor preventative maintenance measures may save you thousands, and the potential loss of the play area for any amount of time would be most unwelcome from the local community, therefore regularly scheduled maintenance will help you prevent this problem and may extend the life of the play equipment. Not only that, but it will provide a safer environment for the children to play in.

Maintenance of your play area should be carried out by experts with knowledge of the regulations and the material wood, as these are crucial to the working life of the play equipment.

Normally we always recommend that 14 days after the installation of a new play area that all connecting elements are to be checked and re-tightened if necessary.

We also recommend that periodic preventative maintenance be carried out (weekly as a general rule, or more frequently if required) during these visits the following should be recorded:

- The condition of the ground
- Exposed foundations
- Layer thickness of the shock absorbing surface
- Sharp edges, condition of the timbers (splinter), beetling screws, bolts or such like
- Missing parts
- Excessive wear (especially moving parts)
- Constructional stability, stability coverage of the fall protection materials such as stairs and platforms
- Cracks in the timber (these should be monitored as changing weather conditions have a natural effect on the wood either shrinking or expanding which has an effect on fixings)
- Loose or damaged bolts and screws
- Signs of vandalism, usage or weathering

When it comes to the life span of your playground equipment, nothing is more crucial than a routine preventative maintenance check up.

Our visits include comprehensive safety checks and performance certification on both the equipment and safety surfacing, full reporting on any problem areas and solutions given wherever possible, equipment adjustments and part replacements (tightening any loose fixings where possible whilst on site) with all playground inspections carried out by an approved RPII inspector.

Why wait for failure to occur? Maintenance of your play area is paramount and we advise that you should schedule maintenance visits at least once a year to ensure that your play equipment is working correctly.