Kirton in Lindsey Town Council

Telephone:
01652 648978 (office)
07518 284173

For non-urgent matters please continue to email enquiries@kirtoninlindseytowncouncil.gov.uk

ANNOUNCEMENT 04/07/2020

Play area on the Green - re-opening

Following the careful review of the guidance published by the government on 26^th June 2020, the Town Council has re-opened play area on the Green from Saturday 4^th July. 

If you have any plans to allow children under your care to use the play equipment, please read all of the information in full, which is also available on the the Kirton in Lindsey Town Council Facebook page.

It is kept as brief as possible.  If you have any concerns, it is strongly advised that you do not allow children under your care to use the play equipment. 

The government’s guidance is detailed and requires a number of factors to be considered and dealt with, along with compliance with existing statutory health and safety legislation. 

The Town Council arranged for all the equipment in the play area to be deep cleaned and sanitised on Friday 3^rd July and for an inspection of the play equipment to take place following this deep clean. Now that these works were successfully completed and health and safety legislation met, the go ahead for the re-opening is given. 

Signage is in  place around the play area indicating the guidance, advice and requesting that any users follow the guidance to protect themselves and others. It is also asked that signage is respected and not damaged or removed. Again, If you have any concerns, it is strongly advised that you do not allow children under your care to use the play equipment. 

Kirton in Lindsey Town Council recognises that playgrounds are a valuable community asset that provide children with a stimulating and tactile experience to exercise and learn through play. Making them available provides important physical, social, emotional and cognitive development opportunities for children. It is therefore keen to re-establish this provision in a safe and controlled manner. 

Within the government guidance it is noted that measures will be dependent on the circumstances, layout and design of play areas and this includes taking account of factors including size, equipment, and how it is organised, operated, and managed. Processes are required to protect the users of the equipment and the staff responsible for its maintenance and cleaning. 

The Town Council is responsible for assessing and managing the risk of potential COVID-19 transmission as relevant to the users of the equipment, such as children, parents, guardians and carers, as well as any staff hired or tasked with the maintenance or cleaning of equipment. Owners must ensure that the risk assessment for the playground addresses the risks of COVID-19, using this guidance to inform decisions and control measures. A risk assessment is not about creating excessive paperwork, but rather about identifying sensible measures to control risk. If the owner has fewer than 5 workers, they do not have to write anything down as part of the risk assessment. 

Owners need to consider the unique make up of their playground/outdoor gym when conducting a risk assessment and putting in place measures to enable the effective management of the playground to minimise COVID-19 transmission risk.   Failure to complete a risk assessment which takes account of COVID-19, or completing a risk assessment but failing to put in place sufficient measures to manage the risk of COVID-19, could constitute a breach of health and safety law. 

Kirton in Lindsey Town Council is aware that in addition to preparations to ensure they are COVID-19 Secure, there will be general maintenance requirements. The Town Council must therefore ensure playground is safe to use and that risks from damaged or defective equipment are addressed before opening. 

All owners of playgrounds should consider how to put in place measures to support social distancing such as signs to remind users of the need for and adherence to social distancing in accordance with existing government guidance. In implementing measures, owners and operators should acknowledge that adults and children with certain conditions will find social distancing difficult. 

It is recognised that adherence to social distancing between individuals and households can be particularly difficult in a playground setting. This will mean that other ways of minimising transmission risk should also be considered and communicated to the parents, guardians and carers, who should remain aware of the residual risk. 

If an enclosed area, owners should identify an advisory limit on the maximum number of users able to use a playground and use signs to communicate this.  The maximum number of people (children and adults) within the fenced area of the play area is current 8 to allow social distancing.  On the equipment outside the fenced area this is reduced to one user at a time, with the only exception of the multi-play climber which can have two users at a time.  Signed is displayed near each piece of equipment and on the gates into the fenced area to indicate these limits.

Potential measures include: 

• signs to communicate maximum number of users at one time
• request those using the play area to only have 1 family member accompanying a child
• limiting the available number of seats on equipment or numbers of swings available to promote social distancing, including for parents, carers or guardians who might push children on swings for example
• setting a time limit and using signs to communicate this to users, parents, guardians or carers 

Cleaning and hygiene 

Scientific advice suggests that the virus can survive for up to several days on some hard surfaces, particularly when indoors. These risks are reduced when outdoors, where surfaces may be subject to UV light and/or rain. This guidance applies to outdoor playgrounds but the virus could survive long enough on frequently used/touched outdoor surfaces to facilitate transmission. 

• Owners are advised to manage any potential risk, cleaning high traffic touch points frequently.
• entry and exit points such as gates
• seating areas such as benches and picnic tables
• refuse areas/bins
• Owners should encourage effective sanitation by users, parents, guardians and carers. 

Consideration should be given to: 

• using signs and posters:
• to promote cleaning of equipment by users, parents, guardians and carers, particularly here there are clear touch points such as swing rockers, see saws, climbing bars etc
• encouraging parents to bring hand sanitiser gel or wipes to clean their children’s hands
• to encourage hand hygiene with including washing/sanitising hands more often than usual, for 20 seconds using soap and water or approved gel and foam sanitiser, particularly at the beginning and end of play
• to advise users (or parents of users) not to touch their faces, and to cough or sneeze into a tissue or arm when a tissue is not available
• to remind adults and children not to put their mouths on equipment or their hands in their mouths
• to promote and remind users, parents, guardians and carers of the need for social distancing
• when communicating safety messages owners should ensure they are able to reach those with hearing or vision impairments. Consideration should also be given on how to assist those with disabilities with complying with the changes. 

Face coverings 

• If possible, a face covering should be worn in enclosed public spaces where social distancing isn’t possible and where the public may come into contact with people they do not normally meet. This is most relevant for periods indoors in crowded areas. Face coverings are optional for all those with disabilities or health conditions for whom it is problematic, on public transport and elsewhere.
• Current government guidance states that face coverings should not be used by children under the age of 3 or those who may find it difficult to manage them correctly. Parents should be aware that wearing a face covering in a playground setting could pose an additional safety risk and should use their judgement on whether their children wear a face covering.
• It is important to use face coverings properly and that signs promote their use appropriately and make it clear users should wash their hands before putting them on and taking them off. 

Additional measures and communicating with parents 

• Additional measures that can minimise the risk COVID-19 transmission in playgrounds focus on promoting responsible behaviour by children, parents, carers and guardians.
• For example, owners should consider putting up signs to make clear to users, parents, guardians and carers that:
• consumption of food or drink on play equipment or in the playground area is banned
• parents, guardians or carers should dispose of all litter including any used protective wear such as face coverings or gloves properly in litter bins, taking it home where a bin is not provided. Disposable face coverings and gloves cannot be recycled.
• Owners should provide clear information to parents to set clear expectations about how children should behave when using playgrounds during COVID-19. This may be through one or more of: signs adjacent to the playground, online or through leafletting. 

Owners may wish to consider reminding parents of the owner’s legal obligations towards the playground users such as signs stating that allowing children to use playground equipment is done at their own risk where appropriate. 

The full government guidance can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-managing-playgrounds-and-outdoor-gyms/covid-19-guidance-for-managing-playgrounds-and-outdoor-gyms                                         

Normal public opening hours

Tel: 01652 648978 or 07518 284173

E-mail: enquiries@kirtoninlindseytowncouncil.gov.uk