Which Playground Surface is Safest For Kids?
Wood mulch is a popular surface for playgrounds. It's often under the swings and the jungle gym where kids play and where sometimes kids fall. Wood mulch is preferred over most and has been tested to be safe. Yet is it the safest option for kids? ok Wood mulch, commonly referred to as Engineered Wood Fiber, is a certified product that meets all applicable guidelines, with certifications from the ASTM, CPSC and IPEMA. Wood mulch is tested to be safe. Yet it's tested when it's brand new, leveled to the perfect depth, unfrozen, and untouched. It may be safe in the lab--but children play on playgrounds, not in laboratories. What happens when mulch gets wet and compacted? What happens when that fresh, moist, mulch dries out after being in the sun? It may no longer meet the safety standards. Some of the mulch that is being marketed as playground surfacing is the same product used to mulch gardens. The wood fiber surfaces may come from recycled wood material. The problem is, wood...
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