Frequently Asked Questions

A playground audit is a top-down, comprehensive look at your playground that’s designed to give you as much relevant information as possible. Audits are generally performed upon initial installation of a playground and whenever new equipment is installed. On the other hand, playground inspections are typically done 1-2 times per year, and are meant to ensure that each piece of equipment on your playground is in good, working condition. By having your playground(s) inspected at least once per year, you can quickly identify problematic equipment so it can be repaired or replaced.

Inspections are one of the most reliable ways to preclude kids on your playground sustaining injury because of faulty or broken equipment. No playground manager wants their playground(s) to become known for having such equipment, and inspections are the first line of defense against a bad reputation (and, worse, lawsuits) arising. In short, a playground that’s regularly inspected is a safe playground, and a safe playground is one that kids and parents will want to visit again and again.

A playground audit tells you all you need to know about your playground; most importantly, it lets you know whether your playground meets the standards and specifications of your local and state governments, including any and all zoning regulations

Our inspectors focus on the focal points of your playground. These can include quality of surfacing, notable rust and/or structural damage in playground equipment, as well as the degree to which your swings are properly secured and able to function without breakage. By honing in on these specific elements, our playground inspectors are able to identify potential issues with your playground equipment before they arise.

Generally speaking, what our inspectors find will fall into one of three areas: unsafe equipment caused by manufacturer error, unsafe equipment caused by lack of maintenance, or an unsafe playground caused by lack of proper surfacing. In the end, our goal is to tailor an individualized remediation plan specific to your playground as well as your budget.

Using our website, you can easily request a demo and schedule inspection and maintenance services with our experts. At Playgrounds.com, our number one priority is ease of use, and our website is part of our commitment to this goal.

At Playgrounds.com, each and every one of our playground inspectors are Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSI). After receiving training from the National Parks and Recreation Association, certified playground inspectors must pass a rigorous exam pertaining to ASTM-issued playground standards and guidelines. Our playground inspectors possess decades of collective experience in playground installation and inspection.

Every year in the US, over 200,000 injuries occur on or around playgrounds. In lawsuits pertaining to playground injuries, two of the groups most often held liable are playground managers and owners, who may not have even been present when the injury in question occurred. Fortunately, having a playground inspected and audited gives playground managers an easy way to make the case that their playground equipment specifically was not at fault for an accidental injury.
In short, inspections and audits alleviate much of the ambiguity about liability regarding playground injuries, and allow playground managers to rest easy knowing that everything about their outdoor space is up to par with the safety standards set out by organizations like the CPSC and ASTM, as well as federal regulations like those contained within the ADA.