April workshops slated on playground standards
Published: March 1, 2008
CSBA’s California Playground Compliance Program will offer a series of Playground Safety Workshops in April to familiarize association members with the expanded requirements of Assembly Bill 1144, which took effect in January, and to provide information about how the program benefits school districts and county offices of education.
The new law requires California schools to comply with current U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines for playground safety as defined by the American Society for Testing and Materials. These guidelines will be enforced on both playground equipment and safety surfacing.
“The state of California has taken a significant leadership position in providing for the safety of children,” said Shannon Godwin, communications director for the National Playground Compliance Group, CSBA’s partner for the Playground Compliance Program. “This is an important first step when you consider that 80 percent of all school injuries happen outside the school building. Testing has shown that schools that follow published playground safety guidelines, improve their safety surfacing with approved rubber tile surfacing and have a properly trained staff can drastically reduce playground injuries.”
The Playground Safety Workshops will be held in a different city from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day during the week of April 14. There is no cost to attend, and lunch will be provided. The schedule is:
- April 14—Sacramento
- April 15—San Jose
- April 16—Fresno
- April 17—Anaheim
- April 18—San Diego
Sacramento’s workshop will be at the Doubletree Hotel on Arden Way; Fresno’s will be at the Fresno Radisson on Ventura Street. Other locations will be announced.
“All school districts and county offices of education have a legal responsibility to make their playgrounds compliant with both safety and accessibility standards in accordance with AB 1144,” said Suzi Rader, CSBA’s director of District and Financial Services.
“Our new resource for playground compliance is the National Playground Compliance Group and its Overall Solutions strategy,” Rader added. “They provide a full-service solution for safety surfacing, play and fitness equipment, inspections, professional design, installation, financing and ongoing maintenance. It’s great to have one company that does everything.”
The NPCG is a collaborative of quality manufacturing companies under a single corporate umbrella, creating and designing playground equipment and rubber tile safety surfacing for the creation of safe and accessible outdoor play and fitness areas. Its Overall Solutions strategy combines proven safety surfacing with professional design and construction, certified playground safety inspectors to assure that federal and state guidelines are met, annual assessments and legal support services. Financing packages from three to 15 years and flexible payment plans are also available.
Related link:
Register for CSBA’s Playground Safety Workshops @ http://www.csba.org; click on “Training & Events” (or call 800-266-3382)
Find information on CSBA’s California Playground Compliance Program @ http://www.csba.org/Services/Services/DistrictServices/CAPlaygroundSurfacing.aspx