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How to secure a children's play area
Allowing children the freedom to play outside is essential to their development and there is mounting evidence to promote the health and social benefits of outdoor learning. Creating a dedicated safe play zone will also distract children away from more hazardous play opportunities.
There is no point investing time and money in identifying a range of child-friendly equipment and activities, if the play zone is rendered unsafe by the installation of inappropriate fencing and gates.
Choosing the correct fencing is paramount to creating a safe enclosure for children to play in. The design of the fence needs to take into consideration a number of factors:
- There should be adequate spacing between the pales to prevent the potential for entrapment of limbs
- Gate hinges should be mounted to avoid further entrapment risks
- Hinges should feature tamperproof screws and bolts
- All gates must deliver a clearance of between 60 – 110 mm to reduce scope for a foot becoming trapped underneath the gate
- There should be a minimum of 12 mm between the gate and the gate post, to prevent a child becoming caught in the gap
- All gates should be presented in a different colour to help children / parents avoid any fear associated with not being able to identify the exit quickly
- All timber fences must be regularly checked to ensure there are no rotted pales / posts which can result in splintering of the wood, which presents a further risk to children
Spiked railings, barbed wire and fleur-de-lys split fence pales are totally unsuitable for a children’s play area.
All Jacksons Playtime® Fencing in both timber and metal are RoSPA approved, timber fencing is guaranteed against rot and insect attack for 25 years, and metal fencing is also supported by a 25-year service life guarantee. Jacksons Playtime Fencing is compliant with BS EN 1176.
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