CMS PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT PROGRAM

CMS provides 248 playgrounds located at 118 schools throughout Mecklenburg County for student and community use.   Playground management includes procurement of playground equipment, playground inspections focused on ASTM and CPSC playground safety guidelines and the continuous provision of maintenance including fall protection surfacing. CMS manages in excess of 1000 playground safety inspections per year. 

EQUIPMENT PROCUREMENT

Playground equipment procured by CMS is certified by the International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA).  The CMS Design Department oversees and approves playground configuration.  Once a playground has been installed, a third-party safety inspection is conducted by a National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI) certified public playground inspector. The certified inspector ensures  installation of ASTM International and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) guideline compliant playgrounds.  CMS then conducts internal playground acceptance inspections to identify potential safety conditions beyond ASTM/CPSC guideline issues prior to allowing use by children.

PLAYGROUND INSPECTIONS AND MAINTENANCE

After School Enrichment Program (ASEP) playground sites are regulated by North Carolina Administrative Code Title 10A Chapter 9  Section .0605, Condition of Outdoor Learning Environment . This regulation stipulates requirements for playground equipment condition and requires monthly inspections of playgrounds to be conducted and documented by trained staff.  State inspections of ASEP occupied playground facilities are conducted at least annually.  Playground sites not regulated by Title 10A Chapter 9 .0605 are inspected by the Building Services Grounds Department and Property Management.

School staff, Property Management and or the Grounds Department are consistently monitoring conditions at CMS playgrounds.  The CMS Environmental Health and Safety Office provides annual playground audits and, in collaboration with the Building Services Customer Service Call Center, tracks inspection findings to ensure inspection work requests are entered.

Three -hundred thirty eight (338) work requests were entered for playgrounds during the 2009-2010 school year a reduction of one-hundred eighty three (183) work requests over school year 2008-2009.  Five-hundred twenty one (521) playground work requests were entered for the 2008-2009 school year. 

Playground work requests are assigned priority status by the Maintenance Department.  Maintenance distributes approximately 40-50 thousand cubic yards of recycled fall protection surfacing annually. To report a maintenance need at a CMS playground simply notify the school front office who may enter a work request.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

In addition to new playground installations provided through Bond funding, over seventy organizations and hundreds of community volunteers have worked together to purchase and build playgrounds designed, in part, by students at schools including but not limited to: Chantilly Montessori, Bruns Avenue, Hornet's Nest, and Villa Height's elementary schools.  If you are interested in volunteering or donating to your school's playgrounds contact the school front office to begin the process.

PLAYGROUND SUPERVISION

During school hours student play takes place under staff supervision.  It is recommended that  parents or other adults supervise the activities of community children making use of school playground equipment outside of the school's auspice.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Below are links to the current Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Handbook for Public Playground Safety and a downloadable North Carolina playground safety training session.

CPSC “Handbook for Public Playground Safety”                                                             http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/325.pdf

State of North Carolina 1 Hour ASEP Playground Inspection training     http://documents.cms.k12.nc.us/dsweb/Get/Document-25245/playground+safety.mov