Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Industry Playground Safety Experts Highlight Benefits of Free Play, Playground Safety Resources during 2015 National Playground Safety Week

  • 04/20/15

Harrisburg, Pa., – The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA), the playground industry's leading playground safety certification organization, will celebrate National Playground Safety Week (April 20-24) this week by highlighting the organization’s popular materials and resources to educate about playground safety and the scientific benefits about play.

"Through the efforts of many, the playground industry has continued to push the limits of creativity and innovation in design, while maintaining safety standards that help minimize risk,” said Richard Hawley, president, IPEMA. "The resources we offer, from the Play Pledge, to our surfacing guide and checklist, help remind parents, educators and playground owners and operators about ways they can encourage free, safer play every day. National Playground Safety Week is the ideal time to build momentum for play."

IPEMA’s resources for education about free play and play safety include:

  • The Play Pledge – by downloading and signing this simple pledge, parents and children are committing to making play a priority for at least one hour of outdoor play a day at home and/or at school.
  • The Checklist for Access – This checklist provided by IPEMA is intended to help owners of public play area’s understand how to use the Department of Justice’s 2010 Standards for Accessible Design. The Checklist provides everything you need to know about access route dimensions, surfacing requirements and play equipment ramps and transfer stations for playgrounds of all sizes.
  • The Surfacing Guide for ADA Compliance – the surfacing guide provides a complete source of regulations concerning proper installation and maintenance of all IPEMA certified playground surfaces, including: artificial turf, engineered wood fiber, interlocking tile, poured-in place and rubber mulch.

Playground Safety Tips and Resources
Additionally, IPEMA and the Voice of Play will be sharing research, facts and educational materials for parents and caregivers about helping to increase safety on the playground. Tips and information can be found on the Voice of Play website, and the organization's Facebook and Twitter pages. Tweets surrounding National Playground Safety Week will include the hashtag #SafePlay15 on Twitter.

Featured

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • Vanderbilt to Partner with ABM for Campus Preservation and Modernization

    Vanderbilt University recently announced that it has selected ABM Performance Solutions for a preservation and modernization project at its New York City campus, according to a news release. ABM will deliver its end-to-end ABM Performance Solutions (APS) model to manage critical operations during renovation and maintenance.

  • Arlington High School

    Arlington High School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Arlington High School has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.