A new partnership between the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and PSS, the leading provider of asset management technology, will help councils develop playgrounds which are both safe and challenging for children.
 
PSS (Public Sector Software Ltd) has designated RoSPA Play Safety its principal safety inspection partner. The arrangement will see RoSPA's team of play inspectors using PSSLive - software that enables data and photographs from annual safety inspections to be gathered using a hand-held device and uploaded instantly to the internet. Inspection reports will then be accessible to playground providers on any computer or device with internet access at any time.

As well as promoting greener management practices through paperless safety inspections, the aim is to remove the administrative barriers to playground management that are sometimes cited by providers, enabling them to concentrate on developing and maintaining play areas that are challenging and as safe as they need to be.

As well as RoSPA inputting the results of its inspections, play providers, if they opt for the complete PSSLive package, can use the system for all aspects of playground management - logging regular safety checks and requesting repairs, for example.

By offering this digital and joined-up approach to playground management, RoSPA and PSS hope to demonstrate that providing high quality play areas does not have to be an overly burdensome task.

RoSPA Play Safety carries out thousands of annual play inspections across the UK each year, at the request of playground providers. An independent view is taken of the risks at a site, and all inspections are carried out in accordance with RoSPA's overriding principle that play should be as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible.

PSS has been helping councils manage and inspect their assets for more than 20 years. Its software solutions have evolved during that time and have become the most effective asset management tools available today.

David Yearley, head of RoSPA Play Safety, said: "RoSPA has long said that good playgrounds offer children fantastic opportunities to experience risks, push their developmental boundaries and have fun. But playground providers sometimes tell us that too much administration is involved in making sure that high standards are maintained. We are delighted to have been chosen as PSS Ltd's principle inspection partner and hope the roll out of PSSLive will break down the barriers to good playground management."

David Gent, managing director of PSS, said: "We are privileged to work with RoSPA Play Safety at a time when public sector finances are under pressure to deliver value in the most cost-efficient manner possible. This partnership will combine the best practice of the UK's largest team of professional inspectors accredited through the Register of Play Inspectors International with PSSLive, our widely-used asset management and inspections software. This will ensure that a council's play assets are inspected and managed in the most cost-effective way.

"By harnessing the latest mobile working technology running on smartphones, RoSPA's inspectors and clients can reduce their carbon footprint. Administration will be cut by at least 30 per cent, mainly as a result of annual inspection reports being emailed to RoSPA's clients but also by giving their clients web-based access to the source data and photographs."

For more information about RoSPA Play Safety, visit www.rospa.com/LeisureSafety/PlaySafety/, email info@rospaplaysafety.co.uk or call 01367 244600.

For more information about PSS, visit www.pssltd.co.uk, email enquire@pssltd.co.uk or call 01926 800800.

PRESS RELEASE FROM RoSPA PLAY SAFETY AND PSS
April 20, 2010
Press Enquiries: Jo Stagg/Michael Corley 0121 248 2134/35. Out-of-hours 07785 540 349.

A photograph is available on request.