Study and evaluation in the security of the areas of game

Have to take into account that so that the childish parks are safe, no only is important the maintenance and good state of each element of game, also is it the education of the parents and the norms of behaviour/behavior that have to transmit to his children, since some times the accidents and/or injuries are produced by an unsuitable behaviour/behavior or a bad use of the different equipments of game.

In Spain there is not a national legislation that regulate how would have to be the security of the childish parks in matter of quality of devices and zones. So only Andalucia and Galicia have advanced in this matter with the development of decrees based in the normative comunitaria valid: it JOINS-IN 1176 and 1177 and some Administrations by means of the preparation of pliegos and technical prescriptions. These technical norms have like purpose, first and mainly, avoid accidents with fatal consequences, and second, reduce the grave consequences derived of the possible setbacks that inevitably produce by the afán of the boys to increase his level of competition, already was social, intellectual or physically.

For this reason, AIJU basing in the normative comunitaria valid (JOIN-IN 1176:2008 and 1177:2008) and being Entity of Inspection Accredited by ENAC (National Entity of Accreditation) and with 25 years of experience in subjects of childish security, study different areas of game to be able to obtain to date current cuales are the deficiencies found mostly, as well as the risks detected.

Of a sample of 153 areas of game inspected by AIJU, entity of inspection accredited by the National Entity of Accreditation (ENAC), between December of 2009 until September of 2011, 65% have presented any no compliance, being only 35% of the areas those that have resulted satisfied to the requirements of the European rule IN 1176.

To continuation detail the no compliances found of greater importance in the 153 areas of game inspected in distinct Spanish populations, delivered by practically all the geography.

Because of the problems of installation or maintenance of the own equipments of game, exists a high percentage of possible entrapments of parts of the body of the boys. Of the areas inspected no satisfied, 47% of them presented some type of entrapment, being the anomaly with greater percentage inside the present study.

Inside the entrapments can distinguish of several types: of head and neck, fingers, clothes and peel, body and feet remaining reflected the percentage in the figure 1.

The entrapments of fingers and of head reflected in the figure 2 are owed mostly to problems of installation, although we do not have to forget the problems of designs because of the sale and installation of products without his certificate of homologation because of the no exigencia by part of the managers of purchase and maintenance of the own areas of game.

Different types of entrapments as they remain showed in the figures 2 and 3, of the same way that show photographies of some of the entrapments found in the figure 4.

The installed surfaces in the own area of game are responsible of a big number of no compliances, since they present the second greater percentage inside the present study. The no compliances found have been mostly by: low capacity of absorption of impacts, especially in those equipments of game that present heights of fall above 1,3 metres/meters; by lack of surface inside the areas of impact of each equipment of game; and by solapamiento in areas of impact in equipments of game with movement forced, this is, balancines installed without respecting his areas of necessary impact, swings, toboganes, carruseles and tirolinas near to other equipments of game.

The results found were the following:

Of 65% of the areas inspected no satisfied 30% of these did not fulfil/fulfill with some requirement of surfaces indicated in the norm IN 1176-1 and IN 1177 being the percentages of these the indicated in the figure 5.

Of the areas of game inspected, 14% presented fault of maintenance, not being elder the percentage due to the fact that many of the areas of game inspected were new and still found without inaugurating. By part of the Public Administrations there has been a greater sensitisation/sensitization since it went in the new version of the norm IN 1176:2008 and IN 1177:2008, but still it is missing a lot of work for doing. The fault of maintenance translates in the hand-held fault of painting, parts oxidadas in some parts of the equipment of game, broken or loose parts, parts astilladas, fault of cleaning and break in the surfaces of impact and the graffiti or the painted ornamentan the equipment of game. The vandalism, definitely, is cause of good part of this deterioration.

Another important point inside the no compliances found have been the problems of design of the equipments of game, in 9%, since some devices have remained obsolete because they have not adapted to the new normative or because they do not find recognised/recognized with the requirements that demand . The problems of design also can be been due to a wrong installation. If an equipment of game is designed for boys more greater according to the manufacturer and to continuation does not install according to his indications, can cause that the equipment remain allocated for lower boys being the means for the protection in case of wrong fall according to norm.

To finalise/finalize can conclude that the no compliances found mostly in the areas inspected have been been due to problems of installation of the equipments of game. The bad installation causes:

• Problems of design of the own team being able to generate aberturas dangerous and lack of means of protection in case of fall.
• Solapamiento In the areas of impact of the equipments of game without presenting the distances of security that require.
• Existence of obstacles in the areas of impact, because of the presence of anchorages above the surface of impact.
• Etc.

This project has realised/realized with the financial support of the Impiva, in his Program of R&D. Files IMIDIC/2010/65 and IMDEEA/2011/63.