Playing fields must be safe

Every single playground will have to be brought in line with safety standards by the end of the year under a major effort launched yesterday to render them as risk-free as possible.

Experts will be commissioned to carry out a risk assessment of all 152 playgrounds in Malta and Gozo and local councils will then be bound to implement their recommendations using special funds provided by the government.

The initiative comes not a moment too soon. A study commissioned by the first Children's Commissioner, Sonia Camilleri, in 2007 had found that three quarters of the equipment found in playgrounds was not in line with EU regulations.

While it was pointed out yesterday that the safety standards in many playgrounds had improved after councils invested in features such as protective padding, plastic slides and swings, many are still clearly unsafe for children.

Public Dialogue Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said addressed a press conference about the scheme at the Mdina playground. He explained that experts in risk assessment would carry out the study after being selected by public tender. The deadline for bids is February 2.

Once the adjudication process was over, the experts will have 30 working days to visit every playing field and draw up their report on what improvements had to be made.

The reports will then be handed over to local councils, which will have until the end of the year to implement the recommendations.

At present, Dr Said added, government employees from the Field Services Unit carried out periodic checks on all the public areas in Malta and Gozo. But this was not enough. The government wanted to make sure the play areas were as safe as possible.

Investing in a playground was expensive and, at times, the councils were on a tight budget. They would, therefore, be given extra funds to implement the needed changes listed in the risk-assessment report, he said.

Almost four years ago, a three-year-old boy was seriously injured when his head got caught between the ground and a merry-go-round in San Ġwann.