As safe as necessary

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As safe as necessary

• David Yearley
• Play Safety Manager
• RoSPA

2

• We should have as much play value as we can
  possibly afford, but only as much safety as is
  necessary.
• Julian Richter

3
Accidents versus Injuries

• Accidents occur all the time
• Through accidents children learn and develop
• Not all accidents lead to injuries
• Not all injuries are serious or undesirable
• Life-threatening or permanently disabling
  injuries are not acceptable

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Risk versus Benefit

• Is the risk justified?
• What is the benefit of the hazard?
• What are the costs of removal (human and
  financial)?
• Risks should be managed
• Legal responsibility to identify and make
  informed judgements about risks

5
What is Play?

• Vital to human development
• Essential for physical, emotional and spiritual
  development
• Through play children learn about the world and
  their own abilities
• Through play children learn to assess risk

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What is Play?

• One definition
• Play is a generic term for a range of activities
  which are satisfying for the child and freely
  chosen by the child. The activities may be
  boisterous or quiet, done alone or with others,
  have an end product or not, be light-hearted or
  serious

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Managed risk - benefits

• Chain bridge
• Impact attenuating surface
• Possibility of harm
• Risks controlled

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Managed risk - benefits

• The alternative!

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• The rudiments of knowledge imbibed through play
  are an essential part of education.
• Mahatma Gandhi

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Why strive for safety?

• Fear of litigation
• Insurance pressure/requirements
• Moral responsibility
• Lack of understanding of importance of risk
  taking in play

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Children need risks

• Risk taking is essential to play
• Play provision should offer risks
• No risk no development
• Exposure to risk is acceptable or children will
  seek the risk elsewhere
• Exposure to unacceptable risks should be avoided

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Injuries

• Minor injuries can be good
• Exposure to injury or witnessing injury teaches
  children the consequences of their actions
• Bruises, cuts, sprains, abrasions, grazes
• Serious injuries are not good
• Risk of death of serious injury should be avoided

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Death or serious injury

• Exposure to this risk can be acceptable, but only
  if
• Likelihood is extremely low
• Hazard is obvious
• Obvious benefits
• Further risk reduction would remove the benefits
• No reasonably practicable risk management methods
  available

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Death or serious injury

• Very low, but irremovable risk of drowning
• Likelihood is low
• Hazard is readily apparent
• Children benefit through water play
• Further risk reduction not possible without
  removing the benefit

15
Balance risk versus benefit

• Make informed decisions about encompassing risk
  in play provision
• Write this into policy statements
• Make the risks apparent
• Assess the risks

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Exciting play provision

• Play provision that is not exciting will fail

Exciting play provision makes compromises between
conflicting goals - but succeeds
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• safety must be considered at all stages of
  play provision inevitably, there will be risk of
  injury when children play, as there is risk of
  injury in life generally. We must not lose sight
  of the important developmental role of play for
  children in the pursuit of the unachievable goal
  of absolute safety.
• Health Safety Executive

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Contact

• David Yearley
• Play Safety Manager
• RoSPA
• The Old Village Hall
• Kingston Lisle
• Wantage
• OX12 9QX
• 44(0)1367 820988/9
• 44(0)1367 821013 fax
• www.rospa.com/playsafety
• info_at_rospaplaysafety.co.uk