Once you’ve invested in new playground equipment, one of your main priorities is ensuring that the equipment lasts for as long as possible. A key way of doing this is to make sure your playground equipment is well maintained, as this will mean that it will be able to withstand the impact of children playing on it day in and day out.

These tips will help to keep your playground equipment well maintained and safe for children to use:

Plan before you buy

Before buying new equipment think about how it will fit into the environment in which it will be installed. If the environment means that the equipment will have to withstand a lot of heavy use then you should ensure that the equipment you buy is able to withstand tough physical play without needing to be repaired every month. Also take into account the age range of children using the equipment. By planning ahead and thinking about the environment and the way the equipment will be used it will help to ensure that you buy the right equipment for that type of playground.

Inspect your equipment

Whatever the type of environment in which your playground equipment is installed, regular inspections will allow you to make sure the equipment is safe to use and in good condition. Inspecting your playground equipment once a month will ensure that you are able to spot any small damages early so that they can be repaired before the equipment becomes too damaged to use. Rospa lays out how to inspect your equipment and the different types of procedures that should occur over the year as well as how often.

Make repairs quickly

Once you do spot any damage, however small, ensure that you make the repairs as quickly as possible or risk the damage getting worse and eventually unrepairable. Most playground repairs can be carried out by the school maintenance team, however if the damage is too difficult for your in-house team to repair you will need to hire experts to ensure that the repairs are carried out and the equipment remains safe for children to use.

Ensure repairs are correct

Along with making repairs quickly, it is also important that repairs are made correctly. This means sourcing the right spare parts for the individual piece of playground equipment and making sure the replacement part is as high a quality as the rest of the equipment. Not only will ensuring that repairs are carried out correctly keep the equipment well maintained, but will also that it is safe and won’t need constant repairing.

Make use of school holidays

When children are on holiday it is the ideal time to carry out upkeep to your playgrounds. This is the perfect opportunity to repaint fences, ensure the right playground furniture is installed, and re-evaluate the security of the playground. Summer is a particularly good time to carry out general maintenance to your playground and ensure everything is ready for the new school year.

While eventually over time all playground equipment becomes worn through constant use, by following our tips it will help to keep your playground well maintained so that the equipment lasts for as long as possible.