Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheater
I worked for a utility company for many years, and we made tire playgrounds using old utility poles. There are none of the playgrounds left. Why? Children fell off of swings or climbing poles, and were hurt, so the equipment was removed due to a liability issue. That is what I was referring to as a trivial lawsuit (yes, schools were sued because a child fell off a swing and was hurt).
|
Actually, they were removed from playgrounds because utility poles were never intended for playground equipment. They were made using creosote, which contains arsenic and a bunch of other very nasty chemicals. Most used poles already had most of the nasty stuff leach out, but there were cases in Florida and New Jersey where it hadn't and was found in kids' bodies, either from touching the equipment or splinters. You probably know this, but creosote (which used to be the ONLY way to make poles) was outlawed about 4 years ago because of the CCA content. Most pole manufacturers these days cannot buy coverage for their past CCA exposure without paying a very hefty premium.
There was also a case in Minnesota where a pole had rot in it that no one caught and it collapsed a whole section of a fort - thankfully with no kids in them.
I played in wooden equipment all the time when I was a kid - most of it made with 4x4 and 2x4 - and I loved it. I am sad that most of that equipment is gone for my boys to play on, but I understand why. Also, most of it is only designed to last 20 years or so (minimally protected wood left to the elements), so it has a definite lifetime. Plastic doesn't, but it is also more expensive to build.