As a playground operator you have a responsibility to the public to keep your play area in a safe condition. In addition to physical safety, aspects of Health & Safety and Disability Discrimination legislation should also be addressed. This entails periodic inspection, maintenance, risk assessment and a one off DDA audit - not just of the equipment, but of the whole site.
Personnel performing tasks as part of safety management, such as inspection, repair and maintenance, should be competent and must be provided with adequate information about their tasks, responsibilities and authority. The level of competence necessary will vary with the task and training may be necessary. Specialist work, such as welding parts of a structure that is deemed to affect the safety of the equipment, should only be carried out by appropriately qualified personnel.
We have produced A Guide to the Inspection and Maintenance of Children's Play Areas, which is intended to help you understand the standard of safety required and to assist you in meeting your obligations. We have also produced a set of Check Lists designed to help you with your inspection programme.
