Safety

The playground equipment comes from various companies throughout the Netherlands and has to meet strict safety standards. Playground equipment like this is very durable, but of course needs checkups once in a while. The municipality checks the equipment once a year.

From the 1970s onwards, playground safety attracted more and more media attention as the number of accidents surged on account of increasingly overdue maintenance. In 1997, the government decided on the so-called ‘Attractiebesluit’, which determined that the Dutch commodity inspection service (Keuringsdienst van Waren) should execute checkups in playgrounds.

Before any equipment can be placed on a playground, it must meet European and Dutch safety standards. The production companies ensure that the equipment fulfills the requirements, but the volunteers keep an eye on the equipment as well. “All equipment is used regularly,” volunteer Lucas Mieremet explains. Whenever there is a problem with a piece of equipment, it is immediately closed off with barrier tape. The problem can then be reported to a staff member, who calls on the municipality to fix the equipment. Any expenses made are covered by the municipality as well.