HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 4.02 Playground Safety Program
CITY CLERK
File # D~[lJ~-[a]~
AGENDA STATEMENT
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: October 16, 2007
SUBJECT:
Playground Safety Program
Report by Diane Lowart, Parks and Community Services Director
ATTACHMENTS:
I. Resolution Approving Playground Safety Policy
RECOMMENDATION: ~' Adopt Resolution approving Policy
FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None
DESCRIPTION: At the February 20, 2007 meeting of the Dublin City Council, the
Council approved an Agreement with David Spease, Landscape Architect, to develop a Playground Safety
Program for the City of Dublin. Mr. Spease has concluded his work which included:
· Playground Safety Inspections of 25 play areas;
· Evaluation of playgrounds for compliance with accessibility guidelines;
· Development of a Playground Safety Program; and
· Safety inspection training of staff and contract maintenance personnel.
The Playground Safety Program includes the following components.
Plave:round Inventory
Files of each play area have been developed which include a plan of the play area and an inventory of the
equipment installed, including the name of the manufacturer.
Inspection Proe:ram
The California Playground Safety Regulations require that playgrounds must be maintained and inspected
on a regular basis in accordance with Section 7.2 of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Handbook
for Playground Safety (CPSC Publication 325) and Section 13 of the American Society of Testing and
Materials (ASTM FI497-98).
Two types of inspection are recommended; high frequency inspections and low frequency inspections.
High frequency inspections should be conducted by the normal on-site staff or maintenance people. The
COPY TO: David Spease
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ITEM NO.
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G:\COUNCIL\Agenda Statements\2007\IO-I6 Playground Safety Program,doc
purpose is to identify loose, missing or damaged parts and foreign objects in the play area. An inspection
checklist for each play area has been developed in order to carryout the inspection. Low frequency
inspections are conducted on an annual basis and are a more detailed inspection to check for wear of
equipment and other safety concerns not readily identified by casual observance.
Trainine: Proe:ram
Training of staff and contract maintenance personnel is a key part of the Program. A three-day training
program was conducted by Mr. Spease in order to review the specifics of the Program and to instruct how
to complete the inspections forms. Additionally, on-site training was also held in order to conduct actual
inspections of the equipment and to learn what to look for when inspecting the play equipm~nt.
Playe:round Safety Policy
As part of the Playground Safety Program, it is recommended that the City adopt a written Playground
Safety Policy. The Playground Safety Policy is an effective tool for communicating to the public and staff
the purposes of the Playground Safety Program. The Policy outlines the actions that the City will take to
make the Program successful. Attachment I is a Resolution approving the Playground Safety Policy; the
Policy is Exhibit A to the Resolution.
RECOMMENDATION:
approving the Policy.
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the Resolution
02~'d
I 'f"t
RESOLUTION NO. - 07
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN
*********
APPROVING A PLAYGROUND SAFETY POLICY FOR THE CITY OF DUBLIN
WHEREAS, in February 2007 the City Council approved an Agreement with David Spease,
Landscape Architect, to develop a Playground Safety Program for the City of Dublin; and
WHEREAS, development of the Program included Playground Safety Inspections of 25 play
areas; evaluation of playgrounds for compliance with accessibility guidelines; development of a
Playground Safety Program; safety inspection training of staff and contract maintenance personnel; and
WHEREAS, as part of the Playground Safety Program, it is recommended that the City adopt a
written Playground Safety Policy; and
WHEREAS, a Playground Safety Policy is an effective tool for communicating to the public and
staff the purposes of the Playground Safety Program.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Dublin does hereby
approve the Playground Safety Policy, attached hereto, and authorize the Mayor to execute the Policy.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 16th dayofOctober, 2007.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
11~1t 4'J.. 14(cl074
ATTACHMENi 1(' 0
CITY OF DUBLIN
c<io?
PLAYGROUND SAFETY POLICY
In the c<;mtinuing effort by the City of Dublin to provide quality, well maintained, clean and safer parks
and facilities to the public, the City of Dublin has developed the following standard operating procedures
to prote6t and preserve its unsupervised public playground facilities and its users. This program may only
be accOIhplished through a commitment to a public safety program that assures that every attempt will be
made to eliminate playground hazards while not totally eliminating the element of risk which is an
essential part of any successful Children's play and learning environment.
To guarantee the continuing success of this program, the following guidelines will be adhered to by all
, '
City of Dublin staff and contract maintenance staff.
· All playground sites will be subject to the Playgro'und Safety Program.
· All equipment shall be purchased from playground equipment manufacturers who carry adequate
product liability insurance coverage.
· All equipment shall be installed according to manufacturers' specifications and shall be in full
compliance with the requirements of the California Playground Safety Regulations.
· All play areas shall be inspected and approved by a Certified Playground Safety Inspector before it is
opened for use.
· The City of Dublin shall provide reasonable resources to ensure prudent and timely inspections and
repairs as determined necessary by the Playground Safety Program.
· All playground equipment purchasers, installers, inspectors, and maintenance employees performing
repairs shall be trained in accordance with the agency's public playground safety training program, in
order to maintain the playground equipment is. in substantial compliance with the California
Playground Safety Regulations.
EXHIBIT A