• A monthly e-zine newsletter "THE PLAYGROUND INSIDER" updating all members on the International Playground Contractors Association (NPCAI), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), American Standard for Testing Material (ASTM), ADA Access Board (ADA), International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA), National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI), National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS), and National Safety Council (NCA).
December 2011 Dear Members, As I stated last month, Mr. James Snider take over as Chair of the NPCAI effective 1/1/2012. As I step down and focus more on the Playground Construction School there are a couple of items I want to make sure you are aware of. • The NPCAI currently has 239 Members with 103 of those being Qualified Contractors and 17 being Manufacturing Members.. • The NPCAI offers both a Nationwide GL Insurance Program as well as a Nationwide Workers Compensation Program. (Note: The GL Program comes with Professional Errors and Omissions of $1 Mil. • We are expanding the Playground Construction School to include: * Best Practices of Business Management * Best Practices of Surfacing Installation and Repairs * Best Maintenance Practices – Including Inspection Types and Frequencies • Also, on the NPCAI Playground Construction School. I personally feel it’s time for the Playground Construction School to “Officially” offer a Best Practices Certification. We need to know how Our Members feel about that and with your input we can make sure future decisions are done in the best interest of All Our Members. This is a key point as well continue to “Improve the Playground Construction School”. I have heard from a few Members but I still feel there are more of you out there with some good ideas so I’d like to hear them. With that said, I’d like to discuss a little more in detail Our Idea of the 3 Point Plan for the NPCAI and how you can help be a part of that process. • The NPCAI starts with “YOU”: Our Members! The NPCAI Board is here to guide the Organization for the betterment of its Members. Without You there is No NPCAI so what we need from you in more involvement. We need to know what we are doing right and what you want that we don’t have yet! • I am asking Sylvia to send out a survey to all Our Members that is quite simple: (a) What is the Number 1 Benefit you get from belonging to the NPCAI? (b) What is the # 1 thing/action you would like to see the NPCAI do that would most benefit your company and our members? Hey – We NEED and Want Your Feedback! • The NPCAI Board – We need to fill a couple of open slots on the Board so we love to hear from any of you who may be interested in serving. We very much need to hear from our members about who may be willing and qualified to serve. Contact Sylvia for a Board of Trustees Application. Communication and Feedback is essential to our success and growth. For this Point – we are still seeking Qualified Contractors to serve on Our Board. This is important and I will be contacting some of you directly to discuss your interest and abil- ity to serve. With that said, let’s discuss the Playground Contractors Role with the NPCAI as are the final link in a successful Playground Installation. Letter From The Chair Post Office Box 2364 Salt Lake City, Utah 84110-2364 P: 888-908-9519 Fax: 801-355-2788 E-mail: npca@playground- contractors.org www.playground-contractors.org Season Greetings ~ Merry Christmas! ~ Feliz Navidad
Transcript
December 2011
Dear Members, As I stated last month, Mr. James Snider take over as Chair of the NPCAI effective 1/1/2012. As I step down and focus more on the Playground Construction School there are a couple of items I want to make sure you are aware of.
• The NPCAI currently has 239 Members with 103 of those being Qualified Contractors and 17 being Manufacturing Members..
• The NPCAI offers both a Nationwide GL Insurance Program as well as a Nationwide
Workers Compensation Program. (Note: The GL Program comes with Professional Errors and Omissions of $1 Mil.
• We are expanding the Playground Construction School to include: * Best Practices of
Business Management * Best Practices of Surfacing Installation and Repairs * Best Maintenance Practices – Including Inspection Types and Frequencies
• Also, on the NPCAI Playground Construction School. I personally feel it’s time for the
Playground Construction School to “Officially” offer a Best Practices Certification. We need to know how Our Members feel about that and with your input we can make sure future decisions are done in the best interest of All Our Members. This is a key point as well continue to “Improve the Playground Construction School”. I have heard from a few Members but I still feel there are more of you out there with some good ideas so I’d like to hear them.
With that said, I’d like to discuss a little more in detail Our Idea of the 3 Point Plan for the NPCAI and how you can help be a part of that process.
• The NPCAI starts with “YOU”: Our Members! The NPCAI Board is here to guide the Organization for the betterment of its Members. Without You there is No NPCAI so what we need from you in more involvement. We need to know what we are doing right and what you want that we don’t have yet!
• I am asking Sylvia to send out a survey to all Our Members that is quite simple: (a) What is the Number 1 Benefit you get from belonging to the NPCAI? (b) What is the # 1 thing/action you would like to see the NPCAI do that would most benefit your company and our members? Hey – We NEED and Want Your Feedback!
• The NPCAI Board – We need to fill a couple of open slots on the Board so we love to
hear from any of you who may be interested in serving. We very much need to hear from our members about who may be willing and qualified to serve. Contact Sylvia for a Board of Trustees Application. Communication and Feedback is essential to our success and growth. For this Point – we are still seeking Qualified Contractors to serve on Our Board.
This is important and I will be contacting some of you directly to discuss your interest and abil-ity to serve. With that said, let’s discuss the Playground Contractors Role with the NPCAI as are the final link in a successful Playground Installation.
Letter From The Chair
Post Office Box 2364 Salt Lake City, Utah 84110-2364
NPCAI Board of Trustees The NPCAI Mission is: To professionally construct today's pre-manufactured playground equipment. THE NPCAI IS: A worldwide partnership formed to contribute to the advance-ment of the playground building industry by promoting playground installation as a legiti-mate contracting profession within the playground industry. THE NPCAI LENDS SUPPORT: To all playground safety programs, guidelines, and stan-dards that promote playground safety by assisting the public in identifying the need for a professional playground installation. THE NPCAI SEEKS: Active participation in and contributions from its membership and corporate sponsors for the development and growth of individual members, their contract-ing businesses, and the playground construction profession worldwide. THE NPCAI OFFERS: MEMBERS A VOICE in the playground industry through leadership opportunity and networking to affect industry changes to address developing needs. MEMBERS ANSWERS to everyday installation questions and immediate access to infor-mation regarding certification, licensing and industry standards. Remember: The NPCAI Continues to Offer the Playground Construction School. The Next Playground Construction Schools is March 21-23, 2012 Dallas Texas
Mark Your Calendar!
March 21-23, 2012 Dallas, TX Playground Construction School.
October 16-18, 2012 Anaheim, CA NRPA Congress & Exposition
October 17, 2012 Anaheim, CA NPCAI Social Event Tool Box Tips: Congruence – Make Sure Your Company Documents, In-surance Documents and Vehicle Registrations All Have the Same Information – Very Important for Work On Military Bases as Well as In The Event of an Incident/Accident: Become a NPCAI Qualified Contractor and Use The NPCAI Qualified Contractor Status As A Tool! Here at the NPCAI, we have the foundation in place. Now it’s up to you to: Best Playground Contractor You Can Be! Become a NPCAI Qualified Contractor and Continue to Support The NPCAI!
CHAIR 2010‐2012 Playground Construction School Chair & Membership Committee Chair Roger Davis Playground
Safety Services. Inc. Po Box 2729 Shelby, NC 28152 P: 704‐487‐7774 F: 704‐480‐7775 E‐mail: [email protected] TRUSTEE – Chair Elect 2012‐2014 Public Relations Committee Chair James Charles Snider. Snider & Associates, Inc. 10139 Royalton Road Ste # H North Royalton, OH 44133 P: 440‐877‐9151 F: 440‐877‐9159 C: 440‐343‐6420 E‐mail: [email protected]
TRUSTEE – Past Chair 2008-2010 Karen Spears, CPSI Kids‐Play, Inc. 700 Long Horn Pass NW Ste #B PO Box 1008
Hartselle, AL 35640 P: 888‐895‐5437 x 219 F: 256‐751‐9191 E‐mail:[email protected] TREASURER 2008‐2010 Nominations Committee Chair Jeff Barber, CPSI Playground Specialist, Inc. 17352 N. Seton Avenue Emmitsburg, MD 21727 Office: 301‐447‐1890 P: 800‐385‐0075 C: 301‐748‐3056 F: 301‐447‐3556 E‐mail: [email protected]
Technology December 2011 (Gadgets?) Hello to All Our NPCAI Members, Happy Holidays! This month we’ll talk a little bit about “Playground Contractor Technology”. As we all know in today’s Playground Industry we are forever needing to stay in touch with Our Customers, Em-ployees, Truck Drivers and Suppliers. To maximize our time and efficiency we find ourselves using all kind of “Gadgets” to assist us in our endeavors. I have listed a few items we use to help us with Our Playground Installations. Customer Database: It starts here and everyone has one. Our system is web-based and also housed on our network for anytime access. All Customer information is stored on our network with the essential information going on-line so it can be retrieved as needed. The main thing you need to know about a Customer Database is that it is only as good as how often you input, update and follow-up on the information stored inside the Database. Work Order/Job Order Tracking System: Our Work/Job Tracking System is also Web Based and stored on our network as well. We use 2 different systems so one is open only to Our Employees while the other is for our customers to view. Two systems have not caused us any problems and have served us our needs very well. I know of some companies who use only one system and I guess a single system has its merits. We like the two system strategy as it allows us to choose to filter who sees what. Laptop: This is my most valuable “gadget” in my arsenal. My Laptop allows me to stay in touch with my Office PC, all web-based applications, map quest and the Internet. My Laptop goes with me everywhere! The only thing I’ll say about a Laptop is to be sure you buy enough machine on the initial purchase. Camera: All of us carry some type of camera. I use a KODAK which is light, good quality and affordable. The camera is an essential tool and is invaluable when it comes to documenting our job installations. Mobile Phone: Here we could start a war with discussions! Myself, I own an underutilized phone. It has more features than I’ll ever learn BUT, it’s fast, the provider offers great cover-age for my area and my phone keeps me on real time with my office, customers, employees and suppliers. It also has a camera, voice recorder and video capability.
Enough about “Gadgets”! See the Tool Box Tips Links below: Tool Box Tips: Used with Permission Technology for Tracking Your People
http://www.exaktime.com
http://www.jobclocks.net Technology for Tracking Your Assets http://www.navtrakgps.com http://www.gpsmerchandise.com As Always,
Be The Best Playground Contractor You Can Be! Roger Davis – CPSI President – Playground Safety Services, Inc. www.playgroundsafetyservices.com [email protected]
December 2011
NPCAI Board of Trustees
TRUSTEE Tom Norquist GameTime 150 PlayCore Drive Fort Payne, AL 35968 P: 256‐845‐5610 F: 256‐845‐9361 [email protected]
TRUSTEE Research & Development Committee Chair Marylou Iverson Iverson & Assoc. P.O. Box 1387 Kingston, WA 98346 P: 360‐297‐8887 C: 360‐908‐3479
F: 360‐297‐8220 E‐mail: [email protected] TRUSTEE Dr. Joe Deutsch, CPSI Imagination Play, Inc. PO Box 452 Moorhead, MN 56561‐0452 P: 888‐788‐9504 F: 888‐788‐9546 C: 701‐799‐4923 E‐mail: [email protected]
TRUSTEE Tom Peeples Peeples Play-ground Safety Consulting, LLC. Po Box 745657 Arvada, CO 80006‐5657 P: 720‐351‐7309 F: 303‐421‐6675
E‐mail: [email protected] NPCAI Office Sylvia Salazar, Executive Director. PO Box 2364 Salt Lake City, UT 84110 1‐888‐908‐9519 F: 801‐355‐2788 npca@playground‐contractors.org
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The NPCAI offers many benefits to its members. Such benefits include • NPCAI embossed membership
certificate. • NPCAI membership card • A monthly E-zine • Free Listing on the Online Directory • Free Website Listing • RFP Listing • Playground Wiki • Free Access to over 200 forms. • Aflac Discount Program • Imprint Plus Name Tags • General Liability Insurance Program • Free copy of the Playground
Magazine. • Free Classifieds • Your company information is given
out to any interested individual seeking your services
• $100 savings on the Playground Construction School.
• Errors & Omissions Insurance Coverage
• Annual NPCAI Social Event • Sponsorship Opportunities • Qualified Contractor Credentials. Most Important NPCAI will support you every step of the way.
December 2011 Feature
Let’s PLAY! By Fran Mainella, Co-Chair of the US Play Coalition This coming February, plan to attend the 2012 Confer-ence on the Value of Play: Multi-Generational Actions and Strategies, to be held at Clemson University in South Carolina on February 26-29, 2012!
The conference will help share information about how play is beneficial for people regard-less of age or ability. You can expect to meet people from different fields involved with play, including educators, health professionals, landscape architects, play consultants, and park and recreation experts. This diversity is apparent in our internationally renowned lineup of keynote speakers:
• Dr. Geoffrey Godbey is a consultant, speaker, and Professor Emeritus in the Depart-ment of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management at Penn State University. Inter-views with Dr. Godbey and summaries of his writings have appeared in a number of media, including US News and World Report, Newsweek, Time, Reader's Digest, The Economist, New York Times, CNN News and many others.
• Bernard Griesemer, M.D., F.A.A.P., is this year's recipient of the prestigious Thomas E. Shaffer M.D. award and has served on the medical staff of four Olympic Games (Atlanta, Nagano, Sydney and Salt Lake City).
• As Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Sports Administration, Weiting Li has citywide responsibility for mass sports, sports venue construction and operation, and all sports events, including structured and unstructured play activities.
• James Rimmer, Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of Disability and Human Devel-opment, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, School of Public Health and Department of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Northwest-ern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
• Dr. Joe Frost, Honorary Program Chair of the 2012 Conference on the Value of Play and Parker Centennial Professor Emeritus, University of Texas, has lectured throughout Europe, Asia, and North America.
You can register online for the conference by visiting us at usplaycoalition.clemson.edu/conf2012_registration.php. If you’re a US Play Coalition member you can save up to 10% on your conference registration fees. It’s free and easy to join – just fill out the form at http://usplaycoalition.clemson.edu/joinus.php. This year’s sponsors and partners include: Platinum Champion for Play - Landscape Structures (www.playlsi.com);
Platinum sponsors - PlayCore/GameTime (www.playcore.com) and Vortex (www.vortex-intl.com);
Silver sponsors - Allied Tube and Conduit (www.atkore.com), BCI Burke (www.bciburke.com), John & Bobbie Nau, and Little Tikes Commercial (www.littletikescommercial.com);
Bronze sponsors – Duke Energy (www.duke-energy.com) and the International Play Equip-ment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) (www.ipema.org)
Partners – KaBOOM! (www.kaboom.org), the Marsha Ward Fellowship, and Springfield-Greene County Park Board (www.parkboard.org).
We hope to see you in February!
Benefits Available to Members! Making us
December 2011
Playground Safety is No Accident The 5th Edition of Playground Safety Is No Accident has just been published and includes many new features with new upgraded interactive CD. Please go to the IPSI web site, www.internationalplaygroundsafetyinstitute.com, for more information. To purchase online just click the icon. A more detailed explanation of publication's improvements can be found on the web site. WHY THE NEW RELEASE: ASTM released a 2011 revised standard on November 7, 2011 and the CPSC released an updated Handbook on November 2010. With the 2010 signing of the DOJ 2010 ADA Standard for Accessible Design into law there was a need to revise the PSINA Compliance Audit Inspection Form to meet these new requirements. The Book comes with the CD and all the new forms which can be saved directly into your electronic data base or specific Playground Site History File. The CD also includes current PDF copies of the new CPSC Handbook and the DOJ 2010 Standard for Accessible Design. If you cannot order online using a credit card you can contact me directly to make arrangements to order using a purchase order.
Kenneth S. Kutska, CPSI Executive Director International Playground Safety Institute, LLC 22079 Quebec Drive Bend, OR 97702 541-977-4555 Email: [email protected] www.internationalplaygroundsafetyinstitute.com
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CPSI Course Calendar
January 11-13, 2012 Landover, MD 301-352-7203 January 24-26, 2012 Manchester, TN 615-790-0041 February 6-8, 202 Dearborn, MI 517-485-9888 February 8-10, 2012 Wagoner, OK 972-744-4303 February 27-29, 202 The Woodlands, TX 512-267-5550 March 7-9, 2012 Shawnee, KS 785-235-6533 March 14-16, 2012 Bellevue, WA 360-459-9396 March 20-22, 2012 St. Charles, MO 573-636-2828 March 20-22, 2012 Long Beach, CA 916-665-2777 March 26-28, 2012 Phoenix, AZ 602-335-1962 For more information contact NRPA at [email protected]
NPCAI Conducts Member Survey for 2011 In order for the International Playground Contractors Association to effectively determine the needs of the Association, we are conducting a survey from our members. Your response is crucial in providing the necessary information to formulate your needs in the upcoming years. Your response and time is greatly appreciated. Follow this link to the Survey: Take the Survey Or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser: https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/WRQualtricsSurveyEngine/?SID=SV_9GHnuWtHZ5Tno6U&_=1
December 2011 Feature
Your Kids Will Be Playing On Angry Birds Playground Equipment Next Year Angry Birds has its own board game, plushies, cookbook and even a knock-off attraction in a Chinese theme park, but now the massively popular mobile game is getting an official line of playground equipment and parks. Two Finnish towns, Rovaniemi and Espoo, will be getting the world's first official Angry Birds playgrounds next year, according to a press release. The playgrounds are the byproduct of a global deal signed with playground equipment manufacturer Lappset. The company will make 20 different pieces of play and activity equipment as well as ready-made playgrounds, called Angry Birds Magic Places", inspired by the colorful Angry Birds charac-ters.
Equipment available will include spring rides fashioned after eight of the game's characters. Yes, including those damn pigs. They also have four variations of play towers with slides, a climbing wall and cottage. Other pieces of equipment include a photo wall, sandbox, rope slide, ship, swings, a tunnel and even a giant child-friendly slingshot. Lappset also created an Angry Birds-themed pajazzo. Traditionally, a pajazzo is a sort of gambling arcade game that has players flicking a coin across a scene behind a piece of plexiglass from right to left. The scene has a number of winning and losing slots that span the play
area. In this case, the scene is all Angry Birds and I'd assume it doesn't cost money to play and doesn't pay out cash. Lappset says that their activity parks will come with street furniture, safety surfaces and can be built in three different sizes. "The activity parks perfectly tie in with the Angry Birds world and our way of thinking," Rovio marketing chief Peter Vesterbacka said in a statement. Angry Birds re-cently celebrated its second birthday. "We will be devel-oping a service which brings together the digital world and the physical world in a way that's never been seen before. The popularity of Angry Birds isn't restricted to any age, sex or social group, and the activity parks too will be designed to be interesting places for absolutely everyone, all around the world." Lappset Group Oy's managing director Juha Laakkonen says he sees the deal as a way to extend their playground equipment into the Asian market, so it's unclear if the rest of Europe or the U.S. will ever see it.. For more detail check them out at http://www.lappset.com/global/en/Products/New/NEW_Angry_Birds.iw3
The Playground Contractors Role with the NPCAI!
The Playground Contractors Role with the NPCAI
As we come to the final link in the
chain in becoming a True Playground Contractor.
The NPCAI Mission is:
To professionally construct today's pre-manufactured playground
equipment.
THE NPCAI IS: A worldwide partner-ship formed to contribute to the ad-
vancement of the playground building industry by promoting playground
installation as a legitimate contracting profession within the playground
industry.
THE NPCAI LENDS SUPPORT: To all playground safety programs,
guidelines, and standards that pro-mote playground safety by assisting
the public in identifying the need for a professional playground installation.
THE NPCAI SEEKS: Active participa-tion in and contributions from its
membership and corporate sponsors for the development and growth of
individual members, their contracting businesses, and the playground con-
struction profession worldwide.
THE NPCAI OFFERS: MEMBERS A VOICE in the playground industry
through leadership opportunity and networking to affect industry changes
to address developing needs.
MEMBERS ANSWERS to everyday installation questions and immediate access to information regarding certi-
fication, licensing and industry standards.
December 2011 Feature
Association Of Aquatic Professionals Annual Aquatic Conference And Institute Scheduled For February Registration is now open for the Association of Aquatic Professionals first annual Aquatic Con-ference/Institute and Exhibit Hall. The conference is being held at the Renaissance Hotel lo-cated in Austin, TX, from Feb. 12-16, 2012. There will be something for everyone involved in every aspect of the aquatic professional. Registration materials can be found on the website under the Conference and Education page. Click on the link below to go to the conference page. Online registration with payment through VISA, MC or Discover is available as well as hard copy forms to mail in with payment. Register before Jan. 6, 2012 to take advantage of low prices. The conference committee has successfully developed an educational offering that is unparal-leled in the industry. With presenters like Ruby Newell, Jim Wheeler, Dr. John Hunsucker, Dr. Tom Griffiths, Shawn DeRosa, Juliene Hefter, Tina Dittmar, Kim Tyson and many other aquatic power hitters together in the lineup, the 2012 AOAP Conference is sure to be an edu-cational homerun. Educational sessions (all CEU credit eligible), are only one aspect of learning that the AOAP Conference will provide. The Aquatic Specific Exhibit Hall will allow you to learn more about the latest and greatest aquatic related technology available on the market today. With many of the nation's aquatic companies in attendance, you are assured to find the answers to any technical question you may have. As well as providing educational workshops for communities on drowning prevention and edu-cation. A portion of all proceeds will be used towards drowning prevention, i.e. for Learn to Swim Program Lessons and Grants for Life Jackets. Go here for more information: Association of Aquatic Professionals Annual Conference & Insti-tute.
NPCAI members are encouraged to participate in the National Recreation and Parks Association Congress & Exposition This year’s event will be October 16-18, 2012 Anaheim, California
March 21-23, 2012 Dallas, TX Playground Construction School October 16-18, 2012 NRPA Congress & Exposition Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim, CA October 17, 2012 NPCAI Social Event Anaheim, CA
NOW SEEKING SPONSORS!
NPCAI Calendar of Events
Hot Playground Equipment Needs a Cool Down Kutska Responds 10-12-10 to The Kansas City Star, Newsroom, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108 Article As Chair of the ASTM Subcommittee responsible for performance requirements for public play equipment intended for public use, I can report that our group is currently balloting the wording for a consumer warning for hot surfaces in public playground environments. Our Committee’s research indicates that there have been very few reported burn injuries to children on public play equipment yet we all appreciate the potential for these injuries in public places in general. The issue is not limited to metal play equipment. Even plastic play components can create the same problem for children, especially to toddlers under age 3 whose skin is most susceptible to these types of injuries. Within the last two years there have also been reported burn injuries to this user group due to hot rubber safety surfacing. Metal play equipment has been around since the very beginning of the manufacturer of play components. This is nothing new and should not be a surprise to parents if they only reflect back on their own personal experiences as a child. Think back to a trip to the beach on a hot summer day. We kicked off our shoes and made a beeline for the water without even thinking. Within seconds the pain became excruciating. That happened to me as my feet began to scream HOT! What did I or anyone else who had the same experience do? We may have stopped and screamed out loud for help since we had no idea or experience to intuitively tell us what to do. As adults or even adolescents we knew from our life’s experiences that we must find shade or get to the water for relief.
December 2011
Random Funny Playground Picture
WARNING: This month's Random Funny Playground Picture recipient is Giganta a playground Model from the 1970’s. Wow we have came along way on designs. If you are interested in submitting your playground for consideration please e-mail us at [email protected]. If your photo is se-lected for the any month in 2011, we will have it published and your will receive recognition for your work and a gift from us, for your participation. Digital Specifications: High Resolution PDF files are preferred. Delivery: Files will be accepted via email UNLESS they are over 6 MB. For-mats: Grayscale / CMYK color images must be TIFF, .PDF, or .EPS format. 400 dpi or higher.
Hot Playground Equipment Needs a Cool Down (con’t) Unfortunately our youngest children are most at risk and there is nothing we can do to pro-tect them against every possible scenario. Parental supervision and guidance is truly the real answer to this problem. When it is sunny and hot, even walkways and concrete side-walks become too hot for these youngsters. Are we to expect to sign these areas as well? Are we to coat them with a more user friendly protective surface? Even these kinds of sur-faces can become a solar mass capable of reaching critical temperatures when the outside temperature is very comfortable. There are far too many variables to find a simple answer to these concerns. I can assure you we will soon have a warning sign/label to explain the potential for injury but nothing will do more for eliminating these injuries in the future than educating the general public about the injury potential for our children when we do not dress them appropriately or supervise their actions as responsible parents or guardians. The media can do a lot to help inform the general public of the potential for injury to their children. This becomes another classic example of people taking responsibility for their own actions. We can never totally protect one from each and every possible risk found in the outdoor environment. Common sense must prevail. The Watchdog | Hot playground equipment needs a cool down - The problem Heat can hurt. Just ask Carolyn Kisler of Kansas City, North, who took her 14-month-old son to Pen-guin Park on Sept. 13. “He climbed onto a metal merry-go-round and immediately started screaming,” she said. “He ended up with a second-degree burn on his left leg.” Kisler says she asked the parks depart-ment to move the equipment into the shade or paint it with sun-reflective paint. Her doctor told her about a Consumer Reports article last July that said temperatures can rise to 140 degrees on playground equipment surfaces and that equipment became quite hot in the sun even when the temperature outside was only 80. “And, toddlers not having efficient footing can’t get up as fast as older children can,” Kisler said. The answer . The Kansas City Department of Parks and Recreation sent a certified playground safety inspector to investigate the merry-go-round. “It was determined that instead of removing it, because it is such a popular play experience, we would try and use heat resistant/reflective paint to solve the problem,” said David Burke, an area superintendent with the department. The painting will be done by the end of the week, he said. “The department, as a practice now, stays away from installing any new pieces of equipment that would have a metal play surface,” Burke added. The Consumer Reports article, written by Jason Harary, advises parents to make sure their children wear shoes on the playground and choose shaded equipment when possible. Par-ents also should test the equipment with the backs of their hands. “If it’s too hot for you, it’s definitely too hot for the little ones,” Harary wrote. The Watchdog says paws, too, can get burned on hot pavement. Last Comments from Ken Kutska: I think you should add an update to my comments about ASTM adding a warning on hot surfaces. You can see for yourself exactly what the new 2011 standard says. Basically it requires the owner to post a warning about hot surfaces, if applicable, at a location which warns the user of this safety concern so they have time to consider the consequences prior to coming in contact with the potentially hot surface. The wording is up to the owner or the manufacturer if they choice to provide a warning. The Ma-terials Working Group of the ASTM F15.29 Subcommittee has agreed to continue to work on this, and other sign issues, since there was not a clear consensus of our Subcommittee as to what the standard should require. There are too many variables for a one size fits all at this time. The injury data is not that overwhelming but there is evidence that the youngest users are most at risk when they are not wearing the proper clothing. Supervision is the best and least expensive solution but you cannot legislate common sense and hold people ac-countable for their lack of supervision in public settings. Signs sound like a reasonable solu-tion but how will we be certain anyone will read them and head their message. Submitted by Kenneth S. Kutska, CPSI Executive Director, International Playground Safety Institute, LLC 22079 Quebec Drive Bend, OR 97702 541-977-4555 Email: [email protected]
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December 2011 Feature
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Rubber Flooring, Inc. Introduces Revolutionary New Playground Surface Rubber Flooring, Inc. is introducing revolutionary new playground floor tile that interlocks and has been IPEMA certified. The new rubber tile is called the Recoil Playground Tile and is available in multiple thicknesses and colors. The product ships from the West Coast and is considered by experts in the industry to be one of the safest and easiest to install play-ground safety surfaces ever introduced. “Rubber playground tiles have been avail-able for many years,” RubberFloor-ingInc.com operations manager Justin Hoverson said. “However, playground tiles have always needed a variety of accessory options to be properly installed such as dow-els, adhesive or rubber connecting pieces.” Hoverson added, “We figured, why not try to eliminate the need for these extra accessory items so that even your average home owner could easy install a safe playground surface for their children? After reviewing the project and spending many months working through the design process, we are now ready to release this new playground floor covering we have titled the Recoil Playground Tile.” The new Recoil Tile is available in 100 percent recycled rubber tile and in a designer series tile which includes a virgin rubber top layer. The two thicknesses available are 2.5 inches for a 6-foot fall height rating and 3.5 inches thick for an 8-foot IPEMA-certified fall height rating. Each tile includes an industry leading 10-year warranty and all Recoil Tiles are guar-anteed to be safe, lead free and phthalate free. “We have had this product in the works for quite some time,” RubberFlooringInc.com COO Kurt Leitinger said. “We realize we are launching this product in the middle of the winter which is not typically the time people install new playground surfaces. But the fact is that we had a target date of March, 2012 to launch this rubber playground tile and we are just well ahead of our initial goal. We believe this tile will be one of our flagship playground sur-faces for 2012. In the meantime, we figured we might as well start offering the tile to indoor users such as rock climbing wall facilities and daycares for kids.”
Registration Now Open For NCA 2012 Training Courses The National Center on Accessibility will host two open registration training courses in the first half of 2012 plus collaborate on a variety of other regional and national events. Regis-
ter now to get $75 off the registration fee to either the Lake Mead, NV, or Denver courses. Access to Parks and Outdoor Recreation Areas will be held at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, outside of Las Vegas, in April. This 3.5-day training course will provide an overview of the new accessibility standards while emphasizing a uni-versal design approach for new construction and
alterations to existing facilities. Accessibility Management in Parks, Recreation and Tourism will be held in Denver in July. This is the most popular NCA open registration course, designed to give accessibility co-ordinators in parks and recreation a broad perspective and foundation for implementing an accessibility management program. The course has been expanded to 4.5 days for 2012. Tuition - Access to Parks and Outdoor Recreation Areas - $575 EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT: Register by February 10 to receive $75 off the registration fee. NPS DISCOUNT: NPS personnel should contact NCA for the NPS rate and registration discount code.
A & D Construction Services, Inc.
A to Z Recreation, Inc.
All American Contractor Playground American Play Systems
Copper Insurance Services DCG Construction, Inc. River Valley Landscapes, Inc. Synthetic Turf Solutions, Inc. Top Line Recreation, Inc. Worlds of Wow, Inc.
December 2011 Member Advertisers
December 2011
Member Discount Programs NPCAI General Liability & Errors and Omission Program
The NPCAI Group Liability Insurance Plan and Errors & Omissions Insur-ance Coverage for Playground Safety Inspectors. Steve Carraway Cooper Insurance Services, Inc. PO Box 638, Lapel, IN 46051 (800) 252-3153 [email protected] http://www.cooperindiana.com
~ NPCAI Worker's Compensation Program
Resources to Keep Your Business in Play. A Tailored Approach for NPCAI Members. Mille Wood Ascension Insurance Agency, Inc. 222 North Lafayette Street, Ste 11 Shelby, NC 28150-4450 (800) 482-3461 [email protected] http://www.ascensionnc.com
~ NPCAI Supplement Insurance for Individuals Program
Aflac policies are 100% employee-paid and area available on a volun-tary basis. Many companies choose to make AFLAC policies available as a cost effective solution to help em-ployees with the raising cost of out-of-pocket health care expense. Member Discount Rate - 5% to 10% Discount over direct rate. Steffanie Staples 8833 S Redwood Rd, Ste D, West Jordan, UT 84088 801-674-6310 [email protected] www.aflac.com
Hello Members, Season's Greetings to you and your staff from everyone at NPCAI. Goodbye 2011 and Welcome 2012!! I want to say Thank You to all the mem-bers of the International Playground Contractors Association for all their sup-port to our association. Being that this is a members' trade association, together we have a large voice to ensure the continued growth of our industry. I also encourage you that the more you put into the association, the more you will benefit from the association. Plan-ning for 2012 is already underway; we are working on some additional benefits for our members. We have recently updated our website with the latest on the next Playground Construc-tion School. As for Playground Construction, it is going into its 7th year and is stronger than ever. To date, we have had over 400 participants that have taken the step required to be licensed, insured and certified for our industry. If you haven't already done so, please log in to the NPCAI website at and verify that all your information is correct. I mailed out letters to everyone with their user-name and password. Should you need to get the information again, please call or email me at [email protected] The NPCAI website is getting a lot of traffic and I want to make sure that your information is correct in order for view-ers to be able to contact you. For this year, from January 2011 to December 22, 2011, we have had 3,378,102 hits on the website. So don't miss out on reaching potential customers via the Internet, which is the way of the future I look forward to a New Year and wish
each and every one of you and your families a Happy Holiday Season. Sylvia Salazar Executive Director
Blue Print for Becoming District of Columbia Licensed Contractor
Must have D.C. tax identification number and a Letter of Authority along with a Certificate of Occupancy. Commercial contractors must contact them to register company and no general contractors license is required. Residential Contractors must contact Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs at 202-442-4311 to get a Contractor’s License and register company with Office of Tax and Revue at 202-727-4829. Website: http://dc.gov/DC/
