A recent study conducted by the NPPS (National Program for Playground Safety) evaluated sun protection on playgrounds in Australia. Only three percent of the playgrounds that were assessed had full protection from the hottest times of the day from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Thirty percent of the sites had minimal shade, and 67 percent of the public playgrounds that were assessed were fully exposed during the sun’s hottest hours. This study reflects the state of the nation’s public playgrounds and their use of shade. Based on these results, it is time to increase the level of shade on the playgrounds our children play on.
- Reduce Exposure to UV.
Kids use playgrounds the most during the hottest time of the day when the UV radiation levels are at the highest. With this exposure to the sun’s UV rays at an early age, a good percentage of Australian children go on to develop skin cancer as adults.
An effective way to keep kids protected in playgrounds is with shade sails Shade structures which are made out of special shade cloth fabrics can help block out the sun’s UV rays. With the help of such a structure, you can safely let children play outdoors
One blistering sunburn could increase a child’s risk of getting skin cancer later in life according to scientific research. By adding our UV-protective shade to your playground, children can have fun and stay active outside while protected from harmful UV rays
- Children can play longer without Getting sunburnt
Exposure to the hot sun will exhaust children and cause them to go indoors for relief. By shading your play area, children will be able to play longer and have more enjoyment while staying active. Shade sails typically keep spaces 18 degrees cooler.
- Stop equipment getting red hot.
A lot of serious injuries come from touching red hot playground equipment surfaces that are exposed to the sun for too long. Shading your play area will reduce the incidence of children from getting burns.
- Economic Benefits to Preserving Equipment
Constant exposure to the sun causes a lot of the powder coated structure on playgrounds to fade and crack. This not only makes the equipment look dated but can create problems for children who might get cuts touching the cracked surface.
Planning Playground Shade Systems
Our design team takes pride in their ability to design unique and functional shade sails. With regard to children’s playgrounds, we maximise coverage by taking into account the trajectory of the sun’s movement during the day to maximise shade.
So positioning of posts and sails becomes the most significant part of this process. Also it is important to position posts away from high traffic areas and high enough to dissuade children touching them. Also, clearance height from play structures is very important to stop the sail fabric from touching equipment and eventually tearing.
We try to avoid flat sails when planning sail systems as they tend to billow more and put stress on the sail and poles. Each fixing point should be at different heights to create better tension of the shade sail.
Often many shade structures have huge gaps between sails. Design should allow mid points between sail edges on adjoining sails to reduce this or if possible overlap sails to reduce direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day
It is vital to avoid large sails rather a combination of smaller sails. Using more sails allows for colourful colour combinations and allow more flexibility in design.
We also know which colours provide the most shade and UV blockout so you can maximise the amount of sun protection the shade structure can provide.
Stuart Bell Shade Sails Perth also offer a service where we can take down your shade sails during winter to prolong their life by protecting them from harsh winter storms.