February 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 75

apply safe maintenance practices
on playground equipment, playground surfacing and other related
site items.
Participants will learn about playground owner responsibilities and
methods of establishing proper record-keeping practices. They'll also
visit a local playground where they'll
be able to expand on the information
presented in the course via handson learning. Individuals must be 18
years or older to attend this training and will receive the Playground
Maintenance Course Certificate
once they complete the course.
" I believe the Playground Maintenance Course is one of the most
important things in our industry
right now, " says Jeff Barber, president of Playground Specialists.
" Even with vast improvements in
playground design over the past decade, a lack of maintenance, and,
more importantly, the lack of understanding on how to maintain
both new and old is still missing.
" I wanted to see a course for
those men and women who are
around these playgrounds regularly
and have the chance to make a real
difference in children's safety by
inspecting and maintaining them
properly, " he adds. " This course
is general, thought provoking and
very visual, covering a broad range
of equipment and surfacing. My
hope is that this class fills a major
gap in playground safety by reaching many more people each year
around the country. "
The first official Playground
Maintenance Course was held
during the NRPA Annual Conference in Indianapolis this past
September. Currently, there are 15
Playground Maintenance Course
instructors available to lead this

day-long training, and NRPA is
seeking additional qualified individuals to share their playground
safety knowledge. Individuals interested in becoming a course instructor must have the following
qualifications:
* Six years full-time experience in
playground maintenance, playground safety, park operations
and management or related fields
* Experience teaching adult education
* A current CPSI Certification and
have maintained it for a minimum of 6 years
* Current member of NRPA
Those who qualify can visit www.
nrpa.org/Playground-Maintenance
and click on the button at the bottom of the page to download the application and return the completed
form to Karen Snyder at ksnyder@
nrpa.org.
For an even deeper dive into playground maintenance, individuals
are encouraged to augment their
Playground Maintenance Certificate by taking the Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI)
course also offered by NRPA. " The
CPSI course is great for in-depth
knowledge of all the standards and
guidelines, " Barber says.
By becoming a CPSI, participants learn to identify hazards
on public playgrounds and playground equipment, how to rank
those hazards according to injury
potential and how to apply that
knowledge and establish a playground safety program.
To become a CPSI, candidates
must be 18 years of age and have
a high school diploma or equivalent, as well as successfully pass
the CPSI exam.
It is a two-day course and pro-

How to Host a Playground
Maintenance Course:
Browse the list of Playground
Maintenance Course instructors
available to teach courses for
you, secure an instructor and
confirm details, including location, date and instructor fees.
(A complete Host Handbook is
available to assist you with planning. Request a copy by emailing
playgrounds@nrpa.org).
Once the instructor and
course details are confirmed, fill
MAINTENANCE COURSE
out a course reservation form
and send to playgrounds@nrpa.org.
Order course manuals through the NRPA online store.
Course manuals may only be purchased by course hosts. A direct web link to purchase the manuals will be provided once
your course has been scheduled.

PLAYGROUND

vides the most comprehensive
training on playground safety
issues, including hazard identification, equipment specifications, surfacing requirements
and risk-management methods.
Professionals are provided with
the current ASTM standards and
CPSC guidelines that are applicable to playground safety, and this
information is discussed in detail.
The two-day course is followed by
the CPSI certification examination, and individuals who successfully complete the exam become
recognized Certified Playground
Safety Inspectors.
If you have any questions about
the Playground Maintenance
Course or CPSI certification, contact Karen Snyder, NRPA's director
of certification, at 703.858.2153 or
via email to ksnyder@nrpa.org.
Sonia Myrick is the Executive Editor of
Parks & Recreation magazine (smyrick@nrpa.org).

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February 2019 - Parks & Recreation

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