The Need

The Need @ Proctor & the “Tot Lot”

The recently removed Proctor School Playground and the adjacent “Tot Lot” were both constructed approximately 20 years ago. In their day, the structures were well designed and for many years have served the community and school well. Years of wear and tear and exposure to the elements have caused the structures to deteriorate. Many smaller issues compile to make the structures beyond the point of repair.

- The structure on the school playground had to have many of the exciting elements removed (i.e. tire climbing wall & zip line) and could no longer be utilized by the students during recess and Phys Ed due to safety concerns.

- All the wood in the structures is deteriorating and many of the beams show deep cracking (Figures 1 & 2). The current structures are fabricated from pressure treated wood which, in its deteriorated state, is a source for splinters and during the summer months, infestation with bees can make using the playgrounds hazardous. In addition to being painful and unpleasant, wood splinters present a risk for infection. It is well documented that pressure treated wood is not the material of choice for playgrounds and since 2003 most play set manufacturers have switched to alternative materials. Given the overall condition of the wood, sanding would require an impractical amount of time and energy and would only provide a very temporary respite from the wood splintering.

- Exposed nails on the platforms are a concern as they will continue to pop up after being nailed down due to the overall wear of the structure (Figure 3).

- A 5-6’’ split could be seen in the plastic material of the covered slide that pointed to the baseball field, another indication of breakdown due to aging.

Lastly, over the past 20 years, the safety codes for such playgrounds have evolved and it would be extremely difficult to retro-fit the structures to current standards. That would potentially create more problems. Two visible examples of safety hazards were the fall height of the fire pole on the Proctor structure (88” instead of the recommended 72”) and the bridge without side protection on the “Tot Lot” structure. This is especially concerning since, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 79% of playground related injuries occur due to falls from the equipment to the ground . It is in the best interest of our children that we support the facilitation of a modern playground fabricated from metallic structures which are in compliance with the safety standards of today.

For pictures, click here.

The Need @ Steward School

The Topsfield Playground Committee (TPC) is raising funds to replace and relocate the Steward playground. Our initial plan was to do this “at some point down the road”, however, during the 2011-2012 school year we have become aware of the following issues which have increased the urgency of the project:

- Several children were stung by bees on the playground the first day of school this year.

- Bee infestation is a constant battle due to the wood structures, plastic roofs, and holes in the metal structures.

- The playground is often closed during the school year, sometimes for weeks at a time, due to the run-down equipment, bee infestation, and mud.

- Several elements of the playground are permanently closed including two of the eight swings due to excessive rusting and the zip-line due to its fall hazard.

- Three of the five structures have areas that are either permanently closed due to aging and/or safety concerns or are temporarily closed yearly due to bees.

- All of the aged wood structures have problems with protruding nails.

- The old equipment, small fall zones, and lack of adequate safety surfacing are not in compliance with current safety codes.

Pictures coming soon!