North Carolina Playground Safety Rules
- North Carolina's playgrounds must meet state safety regulations.playground image by Lori Pagel from Fotolia.com
In 1996, North Carolina adopted new regulations to improve playground safety. In 2002, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Child Development commissioned a study to evaluate these implementations. The study, conducted by the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, found a 22 percent drop in serious injuries reported between 1997 and 1999 at state daycare centers. - According to North Carolina State University's Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, all playground equipment must be in good repair and working condition. Playground equipment that is commercially manufactured must be put together according to the manufacturer's indications. Playground equipment can't have sharp edges, loose nails, lead-based paint or areas that can pinch or crush a child's body. Broken equipment must be immediately removed or blocked off so children cannot get to it.
Children should not be allowed to use or access playground materials that are composed of, coated or treated with toxic materials such as creosote, tributyltin oxide, pentachlorophenol, pesticides or dislodgeable arsenic. - A fence or other type of barrier must protect outdoor playgrounds in North Carolina, and must be a minimum of 4 feet tall. The top of the barrier cannot have protrusions, unless the fence is 6 feet high or taller. Bodies of water such as ditches or fish ponds are not considered appropriate barriers. While children are on the play area, the barrier must remain securely closed.
- Playground equipment that is stationary and higher than 18 inches must be installed over protective covering such as wood mulch, fine or coarse sand, pea gravel, double shredded bark mulch or uniform wood chips. However, if kids under 3 years old will be using the playground, pea gravel is not an acceptable ground cover. Any type of loose surface material cannot be installed over concrete.
- Staff overseeing North Carolina's playgrounds must have at least four hours of safety training, which addresses hazards, supervision techniques, equipment maintenance and age-appropriate facilities. In daycare centers or other operators with less than 30 children in attendance, at least one staff member must be trained in proper safety procedure. For places with more than 30 children in attendance, at least two employees must be trained, including the center's administrator.
