For children, playing is a serious subject, but it is also a source of fun, learning, and development. All over the world, one of the most common habits in children all over world is playing. It does not matter in which age, culture, or country children are. Although the form, features, and equipment of the games vary from age to age, culture to culture, it is an indispensable universal rule to have games and toys where the child is. The universality of the game comes from one of the basic elements in children’s lives such as nutrition and respiration. Moreover, these factors have a supportive role in their physical, motor, language, mental, social, and emotional progress. Playgrounds, where children play indoors, are brought to much safer form with elaborate standards, especially in primary schools and pre-school education institutions. However, children’s safety, fun, and enjoyment in outdoor play require more attention and care. In outdoor areas, children often face advanced levels of physical danger or risk. Therefore outdoor playground flooring systems have crucial importance in order to avoid these dangers.
Are outdoor playground flooring systems harmful to health?
In particular indoor and outdoor playground flooring materials which are offered by SportsFlooringSystem company, are produced from raw materials. And these products do not consist of any ingredients that might be harmful to health. In addition to this feature, their outdoor playground flooring materials have approved TSE certificate. For example, playgrounds in Turkey are prepared under legal regulations. Accordingly, what is going to happen in the playground, which materials are going to be used, the variety and sizes of the toys are adjusted in terms of the size of the playground areas. The obligation to use materials such as iron and steel in toys, especially in welding, and the thickness of each pipe or profile to be used is specified in the law. Furthermore, officers inspect the parks at least once every three or six months. Nowadays many companies promote environmentally-based manufacturing techniques. This innovative company emphasizes that the basis of learning is not in externally processed information, but the interaction between the children and the environment.
Why is it so crucial TSE certificate in outdoor playground flooring systems?
Materials used in playgrounds should not pose a threat to public health. Generally, a wood-plastic mixture is used and the wooden part constitutes 55%. The material obtained by mixing epoxy, phenol, thermoplastic ingredients is also used in the production of equipment used for the playgrounds. The materials used in playgrounds should be produced from environmentally friendly materials. Therefore, there is a certain standard. Slides should be designed and produced under EN 1176 playground standards. Products that do not meet this standard are dangerous to use for playgrounds.
In Europe, there are EN 1177 standards for outdoor playground flooring and EN 1176 for playground materials. In Turkey, these two standards are combined and defined as TS EN 1176. All products and flooring in playgrounds must be like this. If the products and the balls in the nets do not comply with these rules, they should be banned. All private playgrounds located outside the playgrounds of municipalities must have certificates and control them. The certificates of the products used in playgrounds where parents can see them must be exhibited, and parents should also want to see these documents.
If this standard is not met, serious problems may occur in terms of both health and safety. For private playgrounds, this certificate should be checked and those that do not comply with the production standard should be removed. The materials used in the parks must comply with the certificate. When playground standards are not met, allergic effects may occur in long-term contact with products that do not have CE certificates, green certificates and do not have TS EN 1176 certificate. Especially in products made of plastic, there may be contact with toxic substances or volatile organic compounds, and a serious electrical charge may occur. Therefore, the health of our children is in danger. The most important factor for the materials used in playgrounds is that they are health-friendly.
What are the materials in outdoor playground flooring systems produced from?
There are many diverse options in this field but in general, it can be used acrylic, tartan, or artificial grass in outdoor playground areas. In particular artificial grass can provide a natural atmosphere for children as if they can unit the real nature. In addition to this, this flooring system is so easy to clean, and therefore it has no harm to children’s health. Today, the preference for products that do not pose a threat to public health as well as the durability of the materials comes to the fore. Spiral, tube, and flat slides are used among the environmentally friendly equipment defined as ‘Eco toys’ in the parks prepared for children. This group of toys should be designed and produced under EN 1176 standards. Plastic products that do not comply with the EN 1176 standard should not be placed in playgrounds. There are also climbing stairs, commando rings, swings, and bridge products prepared as natural products in the parks. All of the products are made of wood, linen rope, etc. Care should be taken to insure that it is a natural material.
Products that do not have a CE certificate, green certificate and do not have TS EN 1176 certificate in any way used in production threaten public health. Derivatives of these plastics in production can cause allergic effects on the skin in long-term contact. Except for some plastic toys, which are produced directly with wooden materials and certified free of additives, others need to be treated carefully. Even if children do not come into contact with any toxic substances or products that release volatile organic compounds, they are going to have a serious electrical charge. Because they are constantly closed in such an area. For this reason, It should be provided environments where children can grow up away from such harm.
