Posted By Ian Clay1 i have to assess a sand based play area in a busy public park. i have highlighted hazards such as sharps, animal feaces etc. and would like to know if anyone has any thoughts other than these. I would have prefered a rubber easily maitained and managed surface, but!!! Any Help please

Posted By John D Crosby Hi Ian If the sand gets wet it can become very hard and therefore any injury will greater. The depth of sand will play a part - not sure what it should be but play bark used to be a minimum of 6-8inches. After a few kids have been playing you will find that some areas will have a lot of sand and others very little. The areas with very little e.g. under swings tend to be the areas that need plenty. Therefore there is a need to have someone rake the sand at regular intervals to ensure that there is a reasonable level. As the sand becomes contaminated with animal faeces it will need replacing. ina ddition it will nedd a regular top up as some of the sand will be kicked out of the area as they play. When I was involved with these areas we originally used play bark which needed a top up/replacement about every six months and this was in pub beer gardens where the use was less frequent than what you describe. I convinced the directors that it was cheaper and far safer to use the special 'rubber' surfaces. Initially they were more expensive but paid for themselves within two years and managers found them easy to clean and they were virtually indestructable. John C