Build Captain for Mulch
Safety surfacing is a very important part of the playground. The majority of playground injuries occur due to improper surfacing. This Engineered Wood Fiber surfacing is basically mulch that has been processed twice to ensure that it is broken down enough to be more comfortable and to take much longer to disintegrate. Safety testing has shown that 9”-12” of mulch will break a fall from as high as 9 feet and will do so as effectively as other types of surfacing. Therefore, congratulations for keeping kids safe and for having fun with volunteers while you’re at it!
As the Mulch Captain, you have a big, dirty job ahead of you. You will have a very large team of volunteers to help you get started, and before the day is over, you will have many others join you. It will be a lot of fun and it will generate a great sense of satisfaction in your volunteers as you see that mulch pile disappear before your very eyes!
Before moving all this surfacing into place, your team will lay out a layer of landscaping felt to aid in drainage and to prevent anything from growing up through the mulch. Then, your team will begin moving in all that mulch (yep, every last shred of it) over to the playground area before today is over.
Listed below are some more specific responsibilities for your particular team:
oRemind people to not fall into the holes!
oKaBOOM! will mark where the border timbers should go. You will work with the Borders and Concrete Team to place the black border timbers around the perimeter of the playground. Once they are in place and fit together, your team will drive big stakes through the holes and securely into the ground so there is no space between the ground and the border timber. Sledge hammers will be used to pound the stakes.
oWhile the borders are being laid, your team will begin to lay the landscaping felt. Have one crew could lay out the felt while another crew follows behind Duct-taping the overlapping layers and cutting out holes around the holes for the playground.
oUse the tarps for moving the mulch. Your team will be tempted to use wheelbarrows. We need every wheelbarrow for the Concrete Team.
oYour volunteers will work in groups of 3-4 people —shoveling mulch into the tarps or carrying tarps full of mulch into the playground. Moving mulch is back-breaking, but if people work together as a team, it is much easier…spread the work out and it will be more fun!
oFollow the lead of the ‘purple tee’ and the installer about where to start putting the mulch in the early part of the day. Most likely, you will be able to pile it high will be around the edges and in other places away from the holes. Remember to keep a small path clear and accessible for the Concrete Team to wheel in concrete.
oHelp the ‘purple tee’ place the black rubber mats (directly on top of the felt and underneath all the mulch) at the base of the swings and at the bottom of any slide exits.
oThe Safety Station has gloves to prevent blisters and face masks to prevent people from inhaling the dust from the mulch. Encourage your team to use them.