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Playground Safety Is No Accident 6th Edition: Developing a Public Playground Management and Operation Program

Whether you are a National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) newly trained Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) or you have just been hired to manage your school or park and recreation agency’s playgrounds or a recently hired facilities operations employee responsible for playgrounds, this book is for you. Often times, people responsible for these unique facilities have little or no knowledge or experience with playgrounds. Each playground related job task requires specialized knowledge, training, and experience. Regardless of where your playground management program is today, you probably have many more questions than answers. I am often asked the following questions:

  • How do I conduct a playground inspection?
  • Am I qualified to conduct all of the different types of playground safety related inspections?
  • What do I need to look for and focus on during these inspections?
  • How often do I need to inspect the playground?
  • How long should an inspection take?
  • Should I take immediate action when I find something that needs corrective action?
  • How much does a comprehensive playground compliance inspection (Audit) cost?
  • If I become a CPSI should I expect to get paid more?
  • What if I am unable to immediately fix the problem I have observed?
  • How do I take playground equipment out of service if I cannot repair the problem immediately?
  • How do I know if my playground protective surfacing meets current requirements?
  • How do I prioritize my corrective actions based on all the identified non-compliant conditions?
  • How do I determine if a non-compliant condition is a top priority for corrective action?
  • Do I have additional personal liability as a playground safety inspector?
  • What additional training do you suggest related to playground management?

These are important questions. First of which is to assess your resources (staff capabilities, time available, funding, etc.)

Playground Safety Is No Accident 6th Edition is now available. The first Playground Safety Is No Accident manual is available through a posted article link on a web site blog. This edition reflects the revisions in the ASTM F1487-21 Standard and current 2010 CPSC Handbook. Awareness and understanding the content of these requirements is an important responsibility to all playground designers, managers, inspectors, maintenance technicians and the manufacturer’s sales force. The 6th Edition addresses the questions above and provides examples and suggestions for developing or improving your public playground management and operations program. Samples of different types of inspections forms required in a comprehensive program are included. The forms are provided on a credit card USB device included with the book purchase. These Adobe Auto Fill-in Forms can be completed, printed, and/or saved to your computer. This USB storage device will also include a PDF version of the book along with a copy of the 2010 CPSC Handbook and the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. The revised comprehensive playground safety assessment form (Audit) includes the citation numbers for quick document reference related to the new ASTM F1487-21 Standards and CPSC Handbook. Another new feature of this edition is the inclusion of an accessibility and barrier free assessment form for your play area. This form is a stand-alone initial assessment (if you have never conducted such an evaluation process) to determine if you are meeting the minimum requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act which became U.S. Federal law in 1990. This form is also part of the “Comprehensive Playground Compliance Inspection and Assessment Form” process previously referred to as the Playground Audit for those who are:

  • Conducting their first new playground post installation inspection
  • Never performed a comprehensive inspection
  • Reassessing how the play area compares to the current playground safety “Standard of Care.”

To order a copy of Playground Safety Is No Accident, 6th Edition, click on the ORDER NOW button and get your copy by entering your credit card information. You also can email your agency purchase order to ken@internationalplaygroundsafetyinstitute.com.

 

Attention Playground Owner/Operators!

ASTM releases new F1487 2011 Standard, U.S. CPSC revises Handbook for Public Playground Safety (November 2010) and 2010 American's With Disabilities Act becomes enforceable Federal Law.

IPSI, LLC releases NEW Playground Safety Is No Accident, 5th Edition, November 2011

The International Playground Safety Institute, LLC announces a new and improved the 5th Edition to Playground Safety Is No Accident and a new upgraded interactive CD of all the forms and worksheets described within the book.

On behalf of the tens of thousands of playground owner/operators who have and will continue to use the contents of Playground Safety Is No Accident (PSINA) as a guide for inspecting and maintaining safer playgrounds, we continue to make improvements in this resource and add the latest information necessary to maintain play environments in compliance with the most recent industry recommendations. The book includes background information and detailed instructions on how to use each form and worksheet. It also includes other staff training materials, case studies, glossary of terms, and a complete sample site history that will assist those with less knowledge, skill, and experience related to the use of these forms. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) lists this book as recommended reading for anyone preparing to take the Certified Playground Safety Inspector Certification Exam without first participating in the actual CPSI Course.

Today's playground safety needs have become more complex and inspectors need more information and tools to perform a more effective and efficient job. This resource provides many tools to make your job easier.

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IPSI, LLC Announces - Now at Reduced Price!
2008, Playground Safety Is No Accident, 4th Edition with CD
Today's playground safety needs are becoming more complex and inspectors need more information and tools to do a more effective and efficient job. This version includes personal CPSI stories explaining how this book was used to develop and implement their agency playground safety inspection and maintenance program. This revision is based upon the ASTMF1487-07 Standard and the 2008 CPSC Handbook. The most important and comprehensive change in the 4th Edition was in the playground safety compliance audit process. With the assistance of a fellow CPSI Course Instructor, Steve Plumb, we collaborated on many changes and improvements to the old compliance audit form. The new form includes all new 2007 ASTM Standard and 2008 CPSI Handbook citation references. The form layout was changed for each individual section but the focus is still on the process of identifying all non-compliant circumstances. A major change in the assessment procedure is to implement the hazard risk assessment process as identified in the NRPA CPSI Course. The results of this assessment process will require the inspector to assign a risk assessment Safety Concern Priority Number from 1 to 5 with 1 being the highest priority for corrective action to 5 which identifies all items as compliant. It is then the inspector's and/or playground owner's responsibility to develop a plan of action necessary to address these deficiencies in priority order. This new form has a section that begins the process of evaluating the entire playground for compliance to the minimum requirements for accessibility in accordance with the July 2004 ADA/ABA Accessibility Guidelines for outdoor play areas.

The High Frequency Inspection Form which will help owner/operators track maintenance and inspection manpower for all types of surfaces. Having this information can assist owners evaluate these surface systems over time and help them make better purchasing decisions as well as help with annual budgeting of man-hours and other resources necessary to maintain their playground safety surfacing in compliance with the ASTM F1487 Standard.

The most important and valuable aspect of the PSINA, 4th Edition is the companion CD included inside each book. The CD includes all the PSINA inspection forms and worksheets in Adobe format with fill-in fields for recording your actions. The user must have Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 or higher to read and use these forms. Additional CD's can be purchased on this Web Site.

The National Recreation and Park Association recommends reading the contents of Playground Safety Is No Accident, Fourth Edition before using the CD electronic forms because the book includes explanations for the use of the forms and other explanations for beginners who have less knowledge, skill, and experience with the forms used in previous editions of this book.

Other 4th Edition Improvements Include;

  • New Glossary of Terms to help inspectors understand terms important to their tasks
  • New Chapter on the Maintenance Needs Assessment Process
  • New Chapter on Taking Equipment Out-of-Service
  • New expanded Appendix with examples of other's inspection forms
  • Information on the State of California playground safety legislation
  • Sample audit form from Playground Medic of New York
  • Sample complete Site History File for a 2008 Wheaton, Illinois Park District Play Area
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IPSI, LLC is an incorporated business in the State of Oregon committed to the rights of children around the world to play safely whenever using public parks and playgrounds. IPSI, LLC is contracted with the National park and Recreation Association (NRPA) located in Ashburn, Virginia (USA) to conduct the internationally acclaimed Certified Playground Safety Inspector Course and National Certification Exam. The CPSI Course has been presented to more than 35,000 people involved in all aspects of public playground operations. The NRPA currently has a registry of more than 8,000 certified playground safety inspectors.

In addition, IPSI, LLC has a network of highly qualified playground experts in every aspect of the playground industry poised to assist you with your personal needs.