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List Of Unsafe and Banned Playground Equipment

Playgrounds are places where children can have fun and grow, not be in danger. This indicates that the security of our playgrounds needs to get special attention.

Playgrounds are places where children can have fun and grow, not be in danger. This indicates that the security of our playgrounds needs to get special attention.

Every piece of playground equipment must adhere to current safety regulations as well as environmental and technological criteria. Below, we’ll look at some of the once-common playground accessories that are now considered banned playground equipment.

Today, it is advised against using wood playscape equipment, especially that which has been treated with chromate copper arsenate (CCA). The issue with CCA is that it contains arsenic, which is toxic to humans and seeps into the ground. This chemical was used to prevent insect and fungal infestations.

There is some evidence to support the idea that yearly resealing may lessen arsenic migration from the apparatus. However, the CPSC advises uninstalling and properly discarding this device. If your equipment wasn’t created after 2003 and wasn’t built of redwood or cedar, chances are good that it contains CCA.

  • Animal Swings

Animal swings are pieces of equipment made to resemble various animals, including tigers, ducks, lions, and more. These swings are typically made of rigid plastic to enable their creative shapes, but this material choice results in heavier swings than average, which may result in serious injuries when a user falls on them.

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It might be challenging to control the animal swings’ path because they are attached to the swingset with flexible chains. These swings could weigh up to 80 pounds, and if they veered off course, you risk colliding with your neighbor or the swingset leg.

Additionally, the weight of the swings caused issues for passersby. A child could easily sustain a concussion or worse if they were to cross in front of the swing while it was in motion and get hit by a rooster or sheep.

Additionally, the paint that was applied to these swings frequently peeled off, creating a risk of paint slivers. These animal swings, though formerly typical, are no longer found on playgrounds today.

  • Trapeze Bars

It used to be common to see these climbing structures on playgrounds. They are composed of a single bar suspended between two chains, allowing kids to swing back and forth, spin, and hang upside down. Children cannot see or sense when they are in immediate danger when using trapeze bars because of how easily they can fall off due to their mobility. Ground-fixed bars would be a safer option.

  • Gym Rings – A Dangerous 1970s Playground Equipment

These bars resemble trapeze bars but are less prevalent. Gym rings, a type of dangerous 1970s playground equipment, are a type of exercise apparatus that must only be used under the direction and supervision of a coach.

When kids play rough, it’s easy to tumble off them, which might result in injuries. Additionally, many kids lack the upper body strength required to utilize gym rings properly, and their long chains might result in entanglement hazards.

  • Tire Swings with Real Tires

Real tyre swings are not recommended by our experts on playground equipment. Overall, manufacturers are abandoning rubber tyre swings completely. Rubber tyres are not only filthy (they draw and retain dirt), but the water that collects inside the tyre can also serve as a breeding ground for bugs, mold, and mildew.

Users often cut drainage holes into the bottom to avoid this. This gradually weakens the swing’s force as a result. Rubber swings are also heavier than their plastic equivalents. A child who ventures into the path of a swing may sustain injuries due to the weight of several additional children.

  • Shiny Silver Metal Slides

Shiny silver metals can become quite hot to the touch after spending hours in the sun. They can be hazardous if used on naked, exposed metal platforms, slides, steps, and surfaces because youngsters using the equipment run the risk of getting burned.

It’s not surprising that this equipment can result in serious third-degree burns when the summer heat is added to the equation, as well as short gym shorts. When selecting a material for your playground’s slide, choose plastic instead.

  • Metal Jungle Gyms

The design of this piece of play equipment is modeled after jail bars that kids can scale. Younger children may get trapped inside the cage if they fall inside accidentally and are unable to climb back out due to the hard metal bars, which can be dangerous in the event of a slip or fall.

  • Racer Slides

A racetrack slide was a necessary component of every traditional playground. The tall, all-metal racer slides were designed to satisfy any child’s need for speed.

Sadly, despite being quick and adrenaline-pumping, they weren’t very safe. Because of their height (some were up to thirty feet), which made the drop extremely dangerous, they were both narrow and easy to fall off of.

Children may fall between the rungs of the ladders leading up to the top and land on the concrete below, which makes them dangerous. During the summer, the slides themselves frequently became very hot, which led to some kids getting burned.

These days, slides are much shorter, more forgiving, and frequently made of plastic rather than metal. Climbing them is no longer frightening or dangerous, and coming down does not cause skin scalding.

  • Giant Stridesn – An Unsafe Playground Equipment

The Giant Strides, a modern variation of the traditional maypole, became quite popular in the 1930s. A maypole was an upright pole with ribbons fastened to the topple, which became quite popular in the 1930s.

A maypole was an upright pole with ribbons fastened to the top. These ribbons were available for kids to grab, and they could dance around the pole while weaving in and out of one another.

The upright pole was left intact by the Giant Strides, but rope swings connected to a rotating mechanism took the place of the ribbons. Similar to the popular amusement park Dangler Swings, the concept was for kids to run around the pole and leap into the air for a brief moment of flight.

Unfortunately, for this forbidden and unsafe playground equipment to work, a lot of organization and cooperation were needed. Children could easily collide with one another or the center pole, resulting in bruising, abrasions, and even concussions. The Giant Strides eventually lost its reputation as a reliable playground mainstay.

  • Barrel-of-Fun

This now-banned playground apparatus was first introduced in the 1920s and had a good reputation. The barrel of fun was made up of a sizable metal barrel that freely swung around a metal bar that ran through the center of it.

The concrete slab that held the barrel in place was two feet below the barrel. You could try to hold on to it as it spun endlessly, perform somersaults over it, or even attempt to run along the top of it as it spun, something like a log roller.

Although this device claimed to have a flat surface that wouldn’t catch on hair or clothing, it wasn’t a secure toy. Being so high off the ground, the concrete that held it in place was a hazardous surface to land on.

Because of how fast it could spin while still moving, it was also nearly impossible to hold onto and could knock kids off at amazing speeds.

Why Is Playground Equipment Banned?

For many different reasons, playground equipment regulations are subject to change. Earlier machinery was placed based on innovative designs that weren’t put through a safety test.

A regular recall would be issued in the rare event that equipment posed a substantial hazard to safety. The Consumer Product Safety Commission conducts thorough testing and oversight of modern devices.

They conduct ongoing studies to continuously enhance the rules and regulations governing playground equipment safety.

Final Thoughts

When choosing which playground equipment to include, we should exercise caution because some unsafe playground equipment can actually endanger kids without immediately posing a threat.

Many seemingly harmless items have the potential to harm or seriously injure when used incorrectly. It’s best to stay away from them completely and choose safer tools.

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