FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2006 -
No. 31
CSBA, NSSI TEAM
UP TO IMPROVE PLAYGROUND SAFETY IN CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS
WEST SACRAMENTO - The California School Boards Association
announced the launching of the California Playground Surfacing Program (CPSP),
a partnership with the National Safe Surfacing Initiative, LLC (NSSI), designed
to keep California's school children safe, healthy and fit.
"We are delighted to
be part of this effort to reduce injuries and accidents on school playgrounds,"
said Scott P. Plotkin, executive director of CSBA. "This program really has the
potential to benefit our young students by improving the safety and
accessibility of their outdoor play and fitness environments."
A study by the
Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that over 200,000 children across
the U.S. are injured each year on playgrounds and nearly 70% of all playground
injuries are caused by falls to the surface. The NSSI has spent years studying
how molded rubber tile surfacing improves playground safety compared to the
traditional use of loose materials such as wood chips, shredded rubber and pea
gravel. The molded rubber surface recommended by the NSSI is made from recycled
tires that not only improves safety and playability of the surface, but also
improves the environment by creating a product use for waste tires. Taxpayers
also can realize savings by utilizing rubber tile playground surfaces through
reduced maintenance costs, the long-life of the surface and the use of
recyclable products. The use of the rubber surface and the improvement of
student safety also can reduce the liability risk to local school districts and
communities.
"The California
Playground Surfacing Program will assist elementary schools with safer and
healthier playground surfacing," NSSI President Tim Mahoney said. "We look
forward to providing the benefits of safer surfacing to the children, parents
and school districts of California."
The NSSI provides
unique financing and fundraising solutions that enable school districts to
invest in proven rubber surfacing made with rubber tiles. It also provides a
variety of professional services such as playground safety audits, inspections,
designs and certifications to make playground surfaces as safe as possible for
children.
For more information
please contact Suzi Rader at (916) 669-3331.
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CSBA is a nonprofit association representing nearly 1,000 K-12
school districts
