The Minonk City Council was informed by Parks and Recreation president Roger Gaspardo that the city is at risk of losing some of its older playground equipment due to insurance regulations and requirements. The City's playground equipment was inspected by the City's insurance carrier to determine if the equipment met the requirements and standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Handbook for Playground Safety. A list was compiled specifying the equipment that did not meet these standards.
The most noticeable observation was that the Westside Park's venerable merry-go-round should be removed due to the risks of entanglement, head impact injury, sharp protrusions and other safety issues. Other requirements was the removable of the metal rings and trapeze bar because heavy swinging objects are not acceptable in public playgrounds due to the danger of head injury and also the removal of the teeter totter. In Veterans Park a swing should be removed because it is too close to a fence.
Gaspardo said he was told by the inspector that the merry-go-round doesn't pass inspection because it is suspended from the top and there is no padding. The inspector indicated that he didn't think it was feasible to upgrade the merry-go-round to make it safe. He said it can be surrounded by a fence and kept as a relic for display purposes but no one can be allowed to ride it.
Gaspardo asked the council to decide if they want to pursue the possibility of saving the merry-go-round by making the necessary changes, or get a special rider on the insurance policy, or preserve the merry-go-round as a relic or dismantle it.
Listed below is an itemization of the inspection of the playground equipment. Pictures of the playground equipment is shown at the bottom of this web page.
West Side Park
The large open center merry go round should be removed. This type of merry go round is no longer recommended for playgrounds due to the risks of entanglement, head impact injury, sharp protrusions and other safety issues.
On the toddler swings, replace the seats, chains and hangars and install shock absorbing surfacing, as described in previous recommendations
Inspect the wooden play structure, and look for protruding nail heads, and hammer flush with the surface. Paint the balance beam for visibility.
The open rectangular structure in the middle of the playground should be removed, or filled to prevent a serious trip, fall hazard.
Remove the metal rings and trapeze bar Heavy swinging objects arc not acceptable in public playgrounds because of the danger of head injury.
Inspect all swing chains, S hooks and scats, and replace as needed.
Remove the fulcrum style teeter totters This design can cause shear and crush injuries.
Implement a documented playground inspection and maintenance program for all parks and playgrounds.
Veteran's Park
Shock absorbing playground surfacing should be installed under and around the slides, the tall swings, and the toddler swings. Surfacing material can include shredded rubber, wood chips, wood mulch, pea gravel or sand. The material should have a depth of at least 9 inches. The material should extend out at least six feet on all sides of the equipment, except for swings which require that the surfacing extend out twice the height of the overhead support.
The wooden play structure has nail heads protruding above the surface. The nails should be hammered flush with the surface, or should be replaced with wood screws which are less likely to protrude
The large swing is located too close to the fence and a building. Reduce the number of swing scats to two, to provide safe clearance. Bolts protruding over the top of the swing hangars provide an entanglement hazard. The bolts should be reversed so they do not protrude over the top. New soft swing scats should be installed, and the chains should be inspected and replaced as needed
The toddler swing scats should be replaced, and the S hooks, chains and hangars should be inspected and replaced as needed.
The rectangular concrete foundation blocks, which are present on the basketball court, present a trip hazard. The blocks should be painted or covered with a high visibility coating for easier visibility.
Mayor's Comments
The City's engineers are moving forward on the sewer project. There will be a public meeting in the near future to explain the project in detail and to receive feedback.
Halloween Trick-or-Treat hours will be between 5 and 8 pm on Sunday, October 31.
Playground equipment at risk below: Merry-go-round, teeter-totter, rings and trapeze bar.
