Your obligations for playground maintenance and inspections
While a playground is an incredible community asset, if not maintained and inspected properly it can become an unexpected liability for your organisation!
Under the Australian Playground Standard, the asset owner – ie. the person, business or organisation that owns the land the playground is built on and/or the play structure itself – is required to undertake routine inspections and maintenance to ensure any potential hazards are identified and rectified as soon as possible. Removing potential safety issues before they happen is the best way to protect your community from injury and your organisation from risk.
You need to undertake:
- Routine visual inspections
- Regular operational inspections
- Comprehensive annual inspections
PLUS keep comprehensive records of any inspection schedule, photos and reports for your playground management system, all of which can be audited.
- Routine visual inspections
Visual inspections are intended to identify obvious hazards that can result from wear and tear, vandalism or weather conditions. The inspection frequency (daily or weekly) will depend on the location, playground utilisation and the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Regular operational inspections
Taking a more holistic operational study of the broader playspace, these inspections take into account obvious and potential hazards that may occur, including wear of moving parts, entrapments, softfall condition and ancillary items such as trees and pathways. Inspection frequency can be monthly or quarterly, based on utilisation and environmental conditions.
- Comprehensive annual inspections
This is an in-depth inspection that audits the entire recreational space – from the depth and adequacy of the softfall through to the protection of users from falling and entrapment. All equipment is operated and checked for good repair and structural integrity.
Your Playspace and its Surrounding Environment
Our experience has shown that environmental conditions are one of the primary contributors to playspace and fitness equipment wear and tear, and a regular inspection and maintenance schedule is the most effective way to increase asset longevity and reduce user safety risk.
We have identified the following environmental regions for the effect they have on your recreational asset and the associated maintenance requirements:
Extreme Foreshore
Extreme foreshore locations are within 2km (direct line) of breaking surf, within 500m (direct line) of salt water not subject to breaking surf or within a heavy industrial area subject to acidic precipitation.
Semi Coastal
Semi Coastal locations are more than 2km (direct line) but less than 10km from breaking surf, more than 500m (direct line) but less than 2km of salt water not subject to breaking surf.
Inland
Inland regions are locations more than 10km (direct line) from breaking surf, more than 2km (direct line) from salt water not subject to breaking surf; and in an area not subject to acidic precipitation or heavy industrial pollutants.
Based on your asset’s environmental location, you will receive a customised management system that outlines all of the required cleaning and maintenance activities necessary to keep your space in the best working condition and retain your full warranty.
Consider fixed price inspections and maintenance
Few organisations understand the financial and legal liabilities associated with owning and maintaining a recreational space. Far from being something you can install and forget, there are ongoing legal and moral responsibilities that will last for the life of your play or fitness space.
Rather than opening your brand new playground and hoping nothing goes wrong, investing in a fixed price inspection and maintenance schedule gives you the knowledge that your asset is being correctly monitored and maintained, and you know the ongoing lifecycle costs prior to installation. With fixed price servicing, it is easier to include in your organisational budget and fit into your cash flow.
What’s Included?
- Inspections
Routine inspections to identify obvious and potential hazards including wear of moving parts, entrapments and protection from falls, softfall condition and ancillary items such as trees and pathways. Equipment is checked for good operation and structural integrity
- Cleaning
All structures will be washed down with the premium manufacturer specified detergent and pressure cleaned. Water and power will be provided if not readily available on-site.
- Stainless Steel
Will be cleaned of environmental debris and treated with lanolin based corrosion protection.
- Metal Components
Will be cleaned of environmental debris and treated with lanolin based corrosion protection. Paint touch-ups will be undertaken if required.
- Timber
Will be cleaned and inspected. Any splintered or damaged parts will be ground and sanded before applying a protective coating in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
- Panels
Will be cleaned and inspected. Fasteners will be checked and bolt covers re-secured (if necessary).
- Cables
Cables will be inspected for tension, fraying and wear and tear and adjusted and re-tensioned as required.
- Moving Parts
Any system with moving parts – such as fitness equipment, carousels, swings etc. – will be tested for operational effectiveness. If there is any wear and tear if will be adjusted, rectified and/or lubricated as necessary.
- Comprehensive Reports
After every inspection you will be issued with a comprehensive report that outlines all of the elements that were inspected, the inspector’s findings and any maintenance or rectification works that were undertaken. We’ll also include images at each checkpoint so you have a visual tool to refer to into the future. These reports are essential to supporting your playground management system in compliance with legislation and the requirements of your warranty obligations.
- Warranty Repairs
If at any point during an inspection a warranty issue is identified, the inspection team will rectify immediately on-site or make safe until the appropriate parts can be ordered and installed – all at no additional cost.
A programme that is supported directly by the manufacturer means your space will be serviced by someone who understands the infrastructure and fits only premium, genuine parts and accessories. You can also rest assured that all maintenance will comply with your warranty obligations.
With more than 20 years experience in designing, constructing and maintaining play and fitness spaces, the Playscape Creations team of specialists are knowledgeable and fully insured; mitigating your risks in owning a recreational asset.
What’s not Included?
Routine Visual Inspections
Routine visual inspections should be undertaken regularly, by someone local to the recreational space. The inspection schedule can be tailored to each location and depends on environmental factors, usage, potential vandalism and any manufacturer recommendations.
For a large district park or a playspace subject to heavy use and/or vandalism, these should be undertaken daily. For a smaller public space with lower patronage and CPTED considerations, this could be undertaken weekly.
Our inspections and maintenance schedule does not include routine visual inspections, however we will provide you with the tools and templates you need to undertake these inspections yourself.
- Regular Operational Inspections
Operational inspections are more detailed than visual inspections and require an in-depth look into the functionality and operation of the playground equipment. As these need to be carried out monthly, this falls outside the scope of Playscape Creations’ inspection schedule.
An operational inspection and report will take place whenever our inspection team is undertaking the inspection and maintenance program – depending on your environmental location this may be every 3 or 6 months. The operational inspections that fall outside these periods will need to be undertaken by the asset owner. However, we will provide you with the tools, templates and training you need to undertake these inspections.
- Loose Softfall Rectification
Loose Softfall such as bark and sand is considered a consumable item, and as such will need to be replenished regularly to preserve impact attenuation and visual aesthetics.
Our inspection team will let you know when this needs to happen (if not already identified in your routine visual inspections) and can organise on your behalf if required. Any costs associated with the supply and installation of loose softfall will be the responsibility of the asset owner.
- Amenities Inspection and Maintenance
Toilet blocks and amenities are outside the standard scope of works for playground inspections, however we will let you know if there are any access issues or obstructions to surrounding walkways or access routes.
- Fair wear and tear
A recreational space is subject to regular use by active people – as such it is to be expected that there will be wear and tear to system components. Where this is deemed to be a product failure or manufacturing fault, it will be repaired/replaced under warranty. If the damage is considered fair wear and tear or asset ageing as part of its lifecycle, repair/replacement will be quoted to the asset owner
Schedule and Pricing
The inspection frequency and maintenance programs outlined in this document are determined by the asset’s environmental location. There are different legislative requirements for play and fitness spaces, so we have separate maintenance schedules for each recreational area.