PASSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN! (SM)
FAQs
FAQs
Am I legally required to inspect my playgrounds?
It depends on the state you are located in and the location of the playground, e.g., park, school, pre-school, whether laws and/or regulations apply.
There are general legal principals of tort liability that may apply in the instance of an injury. You may have liability for any personal injury that occurs on the playground even if you are not legally required by statute or regulation to inspect them. Your playground may need to meet American's with Disabilties Act (ADA) standards.
If I am not legally required to inspect them, why should I do it?
Aside from legal considerations, of course, a playground owner should consider its moral and ethical obligations to the children, parents, and community.
Why do you even have a playground? It is for the enjoyment and health of children, right? So, of course, you want to do the right thing for those children even if it is not legally required. How would you feel if a child gets hurt or dies? How would you feel if that were your child?
Also, inspections and their reports may save you money by finding maintenance items before they get worse, serve as evidence of your safety efforts in event of an insurance claim or lawsuit, and may be a basis for requesting a reduction in insurance premiums. (see additional FAQs below)
I have liability insurance if a child gets hurt, so why should worry about it?
Insurance coverage, assuming it will cover your particular set of facts and amount of damages in a suit or settlement, doesn’t heal the injury, doesn’t make the trauma and memories go away, and certainly doesn’t prevent the injury from happening in the first place. Insurance is a backstop when unfortunate things happen. Money is, sadly, a poor substitute for trying to make someone whole again.
Surely, doing the right thing by the children is your desire and insurance is smart but not a substitute for prevention.
Further, inspection reports may be useful documentary evidence in defending insurance claims or lawsuits. And, insurance won't cover your reputational costs even if it covers lost revenue due to the damage to your reputation and goodwill.
I really care about children, but I’m on a tight budget so how do I justify the cost of playground inspection?
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and we know that regular maintenance and repairs are usually much less costly than repairing a more catastrophic failure or replacing equipment. And, certainly, you can’t undo an injury or the pain that accompanies it. An injury may heal but the trauma may linger.
When you prioritize your budget, how do you determine your priorities? What is important to your organization?
We can work with you to tailor an inspection scope and schedule that makes sense for you.
As discussed above, regular inspections and reports may also save you money in ways that offset the upfront costs.
We perform regular maintenance; why do I need an inspection too?
Circumstances can change, sometimes rapidly. We also keep up with changes in standards and best practices to continue to be at the forefront of safety. Knowledge evolves and so do we.
My equipment is pretty new; why should I inspect?
Equipment can have material and manufacturing defects, equipment can be installed improperly, heavy or improper use can occur, weather conditions have impacts, vandalism is an unfortunate occurrence and other factors can present hazards or change playground conditions rapidly.
Can’t I just do my own inspection?
You can, but do you have the time, the training, and the eye for the details? Even, if you don’t use our services, we do encourage you to have your playground inspected or regularly inspect to the best of your capabilities.
why should I inspect my playground?
This list of frequently asked questions should help you understand why you should have your playgrounds inspected by a professional.