Tag Archives: risk benefit assessment

The wobbly bridge revisited, or the problem with playground standards

Posted on April 29, 2013 | 12 Comments

3 boys in playground, one falling off a beamIn my last post, I used the example of a wobbly bridge to highlight why it is hard to manage risk in play spaces. I promised to say more about the role of equipment standards in managing risk, and why they need to be rethought. This post delivers on that promise.

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Posted in Outdoor play, Play spaces, playground, Public policy, Risk

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The wobbly bridge, or why it is harder to manage risk in playgrounds than factories

Posted on April 22, 2013 | 5 Comments

Rope bridge in play area“How can we make our playground safe?” It seems a simple enough question. Yet the answer is anything but (and even the question is not as simple as it looks). In fact, managing risk in a playground is much more complex than in a factory or a workplace. The reason for this is down to a fundamental difference in the nature of the task. One way to grasp this difference is to think about a wobbly bridge.

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Posted in Outdoor play, Play spaces, playground, Risk

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A broken limb, the Health and Safety Executive, and a good outcome

Posted on March 11, 2013 | 13 Comments

broken arm in plasterThe Health and Safety Executive – the nation’s safety regulator – is so often the fall guy for everything that is wrong about the way risk is managed. But last week I heard an anecdote that brought home to me – in an unexpected way – the positive role HSE is playing in building support for a balanced, thoughtful approach to risk in children’s play. I was running a workshop on risk-benefit assessment at a playwork conference, and one of the participants – a manager of an after-school club – shared a revealing story. It begins last September, with a boy breaking a limb.

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Posted in Outdoor play, Parenting, play, Public policy, Risk

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It’s health and safety gone sane!

Posted on September 3, 2012 | 48 Comments

Glamis Adventure Playground double swingI see what you did there. So I take it you are not about to share another crazy story about kids being wrapped in cotton wool.
Indeed not. Today is a good day for getting rid of the white fluffy stuff. You see, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a statement that promotes a balanced, thoughtful approach to safety in children’s play.

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Posted in Education, Learning, Outdoor play, play, Play spaces, playground, Public policy, Risk

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Risk benefit assessment in my own backyard (Part 2)

Posted on November 25, 2011 | 11 Comments

Jozef toasting a marshmallowThe good news: the two fire-making sessions went very well. I felt that all the children engaged positively with the activities pretty much throughout. Six or seven parents emailed me afterwards to say how much their child enjoyed the evening. I don’t think they were just being polite. Continue reading →

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Posted in Nature, Risk

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Risk benefit assessment in my own backyard (Part 1)

Posted on November 14, 2011 | 9 Comments

Girl toasting marshmallow over a fireThis Thursday, I am running the first of two sessions in my back garden, for my local Woodcraft Folk group. The children will get the chance to use a fire steel to light a fire. I thought it would be interesting to carry out a risk benefit assessment (RBA) to help with my session planning. Continue reading →

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Posted in Nature, Risk

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