According to this news article, an Oklahoman Boy Scout undertook for his Eagle Scout project a partial renovation of the playground at the Garfield County Child Advocacy Center. I've come across a few such Eagle Scout projects in my time, and I'm always impressed at the good nature, integrity, and work ethic of the scouts.
The problem is, I would never, ever allow an Eagle Scout to build a playground on my property (at least, without having a certified playground safety inspector (CPSI) peek over his shoulder every once in a while!). There are a number things to consider while building a playground - from overlapping zones of play, to distance-from-edge, to potential trapping hazards, to material wear and tear - and inspection and certification by a CPSI can go a long way to limiting a playground's legal liability. Moreover, this playground is on government land! It could ultimately cost the Oklahoma taxpayer a good deal in lawsuit settlements.
I understand why these Eagle Scout projects are allowed to happen. The kid gets his Eagle Scout project done. The school gets a virtually free playground. The problem is, a potentially unsafe playground is being built. How's this for a proposal: as part of the project, the Eagle Scout needs to raise the money to hire a CPSI for the afternoon. It would only cost a few hundred bucks, and would go a long way to reducing the possibility of improper/unsafe construction.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
... I don't know the answer to that, but there seem to be about 40 people working on this playground construction site.
Based on the slideshow, there seems to be a multitude of tasks for the volunteers - painting murals, making a new sidewalk, and so forth - so it's likely that the crew didn't reach the point of diminishing returns (i.e., the too-many-cooks-spoil-the-broth syndrome). But back in my playground construction days the magic number for a crew was 4 or 5: any more, and there would be at least one person loafing at all times; any fewer, and the job would take ages.
Based on the slideshow, there seems to be a multitude of tasks for the volunteers - painting murals, making a new sidewalk, and so forth - so it's likely that the crew didn't reach the point of diminishing returns (i.e., the too-many-cooks-spoil-the-broth syndrome). But back in my playground construction days the magic number for a crew was 4 or 5: any more, and there would be at least one person loafing at all times; any fewer, and the job would take ages.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The price of fun
When I was just beginning as a safety analyst, I remember being very surprised at the cost of play equipment. It seemed so high! A medium-sized piece of modular equipment will cost several thousand dollars - and, with installation, a couple thousand more - and playgrounds can be much, much more expensive than that. A new playground in Sydney is slated to cost more than 8 million dollars!
Yet, is this a high price to pay? Let's do a few numbers. Suppose you, the superintendent of a playground, are in charge of what piece of equipment to buy. You have two options: High and Low. High costs $15,000 fully installed, and Low costs $5,000 fully installed. Assume that High and Low are both equal in terms of the amount of joy they bring to the children. They are NOT equal, however, in either their durability or their safety: High will last for 10 years before it needs to be replaced, and implies a 10% yearly injury risk (so, there is a ten percent chance in any given year that a child will incur a hospital-worthy accident on it). Assume that Low will last for 6 years, and implies a 15% injury risk. Assume, finally, that any hospital-worthy injury incurred on the play equipment will necessitate a $20,000 financial settlement.
So! We must balance these probabilities. First, the aging: correcting for the difference in durability, we have that High costs the owner $1,500 per year (which is just $15,000/10), and Low costs $833 per year (which is just $5,000/6). Now, each year they are operational, High has an expected loss of .10*$20,000 (the probability of an injury happening times what it would cost the playground owner if the injury DID happen), or, $2,000. Low has an expected loss of .15*$20,000, or $3,000 by the same reasoning. Add them all up and you get that High actually costs you, Mr. or Mrs. Playground, $3,500 per year, and Low costs you $3,833 per year!
So, there we have it: it can make financial sense to invest in high-quality equipment for your playground. My Uncle Nick used to tell me never to skimp on what I put on my feet, or what I put in my car; now, I can add to that list, what I put on my playground!
Yet, is this a high price to pay? Let's do a few numbers. Suppose you, the superintendent of a playground, are in charge of what piece of equipment to buy. You have two options: High and Low. High costs $15,000 fully installed, and Low costs $5,000 fully installed. Assume that High and Low are both equal in terms of the amount of joy they bring to the children. They are NOT equal, however, in either their durability or their safety: High will last for 10 years before it needs to be replaced, and implies a 10% yearly injury risk (so, there is a ten percent chance in any given year that a child will incur a hospital-worthy accident on it). Assume that Low will last for 6 years, and implies a 15% injury risk. Assume, finally, that any hospital-worthy injury incurred on the play equipment will necessitate a $20,000 financial settlement.
So! We must balance these probabilities. First, the aging: correcting for the difference in durability, we have that High costs the owner $1,500 per year (which is just $15,000/10), and Low costs $833 per year (which is just $5,000/6). Now, each year they are operational, High has an expected loss of .10*$20,000 (the probability of an injury happening times what it would cost the playground owner if the injury DID happen), or, $2,000. Low has an expected loss of .15*$20,000, or $3,000 by the same reasoning. Add them all up and you get that High actually costs you, Mr. or Mrs. Playground, $3,500 per year, and Low costs you $3,833 per year!
So, there we have it: it can make financial sense to invest in high-quality equipment for your playground. My Uncle Nick used to tell me never to skimp on what I put on my feet, or what I put in my car; now, I can add to that list, what I put on my playground!
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