As more people have become vaccinated or developed natural immunity, Covid19 restrictions on daily activities have finally started to ease. But we’re not quite out of the woods yet. By continuing to follow general health and safety guidelines encouraged by the World Health Organisation and our localities, we can further prevent the spread of the virus. And hopefully, in time, we’ll be able to resume daily life in its fullest. But for now, we can be grateful that our children can again enjoy spending time in public playgrounds for their physical health and well-being.

Still feeling apprehensive about letting your kids play in public play areas? Fear not. It’s why playgrounds have their own unique set of health and safety guidelines. Here are the Covid19 guidelines for playgrounds, as we usher into a period of pandemic decline and more freedom to enjoy the outdoors:

General Risk Mitigation:

• Attendees must be notified of the steps being taken to prevent transmission, and the importance of their roles in these measures. These notifications include posting signages in highly visible locations.
• Anyone with symptoms of Covid19, a history of international travel within the last 14 days, or that has come in close contact with a confirmed Covid19 case in the past 14 days must remain home.

Screening and Physical Distancing:

• Signs should be posted to instruct those who may have been exposed to Covid19 not to enter.
• Playground users must maintain physical distancing of at least 2 metres at all times between attendees who are not from the same household.
• Additional hands-free garbage bins with removable linings should be placed at all entrances and exits.

Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette:

• Practice common proper hygiene such as washing your hands frequently, refraining from touching the face with unclean hands, and carrying and using hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol content.
• There should be stations available for hand washing and other hand hygiene practices.

Shared Items and Equipment:

• Children should be encouraged to avoid sharing toys or sports equipment, and to limit contact with individuals outside of their household or cohort family.
• Toys and sports equipment should be cleaned and disinfected before and after use.
• Water fountains should be cleaned and disinfected frequently.

These basic playground health and safety guidelines, when followed by all, will not only ensure our children’s safety as they once again enjoy the outdoors, but will also prevent the re-emergence of the Covid19 pandemic at full scale. None of us want to relive the pandemic experience, so following the minimum health protocols will go a long way in getting daily life back to normal for everyone.

At iREC, we manufacture only the safest and highest quality children’s playground equipment that stands up to international health and safety standards. Our playground equipment is known and demanded by businesses in the recreation facilities sector globally for high quality products, built to last. Look for our brand when searching for playground equipment that ensures 100% safety for kids.