The Bermuda Government is conducting safety inspections on all public playgrounds, according to Craig Cannonier, the Minister of Works and Engineering.

Mr Cannonier said the Department of Parks had sent two officers overseas for training, where they obtained the certification of playground safety inspector from the National Parks and Recreation Association of the United States.

The minister was responding to concerns from local contractor Bruce Simons, who claims many of the Island’s playgrounds have unsuitable surfaces that create an environment for children to get hurt.

Mr Cannonier said: “The officers have conducted initial inspections of several public playgrounds and we hope to have a comprehensive review of all public playgrounds finalised in short order.”

While there are no official guidelines set locally, the Department of Parks uses standards set out by the American Society for Testing and Materials International.

Mr Simons claimed children risk being seriously injured at many of the 14 public playgrounds unless they are maintained consistently, adding that the solid ground must be replaced with a softer surface to reduce the risk of injury.

There are more than 50 additional playgrounds in public schools and preschools.

He said it is his job to report safety infractions, while keeping the playground clean and safe is a responsibility of the entire community and not the Government alone.

“We all must do our part to ensure that the playgrounds are maintained to the national standard,” he said.

Mr Simons said he worries most about high-impact falls.

“One brain-damaged child or death, as a result of a high-impact fall, could never come close to the expense of restoring all the playgrounds to standard,” he said.

Jonathan Starling, director of Greenrock, said there is a growing push to have Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified playgrounds, which place “being green” as central to their design.

He said: “That’s certainly something that we’d love to see here, making sure that not only are our playgrounds fun and safe for children, but also sustainable in their design and construction.”

He also stressed that these public spaces should be “accessible”.

“Bermuda doesn’t have an equivalent to the Americans with Disabilities Act yet, though we should, however I see no reason why we shouldn’t build our playgrounds as if we did,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“Part of designing green playgrounds can be reusing or upcycling materials that might otherwise end up in the landfill, making sure there’s good drainage.

“As for the actual use of rubber in playgrounds, there’s a role for them. I wouldn’t support the use of shredded tyres as a rubber mulch out of health concerns myself, but things like pour-in-place rubber or rubber tiles, with good drainage, could work.

“If you look at the Discovery Cove in the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, that’s a good example of what can be done.”

He said grass was his preferred material for flooring.