Health
Checking children's play equipment in spring
TÜV NORD advises that garden play equipment such as see-saws, climbing platforms, swings and high bars should be checked for safety defects every year following the end of winter. The long period of cold weather, and also continuous rain and possibly snow, can attack the equipment. "In order to avoid accidents, I advise parents to cast a critical eye over wooden and metal parts", says Norbert Segerath from TÜV NORD. The wooden beams of towers and swings which are at ground level should be examined for signs of rot - for example, the presence of mould is an unmistakable sign that the wood is rotten. The weather side of play equipment that is directly exposed to rain, snow and sun can also age rapidly. "If it is possible to push a nail by hand two to three centimetres into the wood of the horizontal beam of a swing from above - in other words, from the weather side - it shows that the load-bearing capacity is considerably reduced. The beam should be replaced immediately", says the expert. But it is not only wood that can wear out over time, metal can suffer the same fate. Larger patches of rust and cracks in weld seams indicate weak spots in the material. If you feel uncertain, call in a fitter or metalworker for advice.
About the TÜV NORD Group
With over 10,000 employees TÜV NORD Group is one of the largest technical service providers in Germany. It also operates in over 70 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The Group owes its leading market position to its technical competence and a broad range of advisory, service, and testing services in the Mobility, Industrial Services, International, Natural Resources and Training and Human Resources fields. TÜV NORD Group is firmly committed to its guiding principle and watchword: "Making our world safer".
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Contact for this press release:
TÜV NORD Group
Svea Büttner Telephone +49 (0)511 986-1270, Fax -28991270
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