Recreation, sports, and gym equipment are subjected to large dynamic forces and must be designed to support these loads and protect users from unintentional hazards. Adequate instructions and warnings may be required if their assembly and proper use are not obvious. There are also issues associated with safety, adequate supervision and maintenance of gyms, swimming pools and playgrounds to assure that they are used properly and do not become dangerous due to either misuse or normal wear and tear. Issues associated with such accidents require an understanding of biomechanics, human factors, safety, dynamics and structural engineering.
Expertise
Questions Answered
We have extensive safety experience in many aspects of playground, recreational and gym equipment including:
Developing instructions and warnings for gym equipment set-up and use
Design of exercise equipment
An extensive library concerning playground and gymnastic safety
Case Examples
Public Playground Accident:
A 5-year old girl was swinging from the monkey bars at a town park when she lost her grip and fell, severely injuring her pelvis. We inspected the play equipment and researched playground accident statistics throughout the US. This led us to determine that the subject equipment contained a number of accident related safety violations such as: an inadequate equipment "use zone", dangerous protrusions and no slip-resistant rungs. Our report convinced the park authorities to rapidly settle this matter.
Dr. Irving Ojalvo is Chairman of Technology Associates (www.technology-assoc.com), a forensic engineering firm with offices in New York City and Connecticut. The firm's technical personnel, all of whom have advanced degrees, perform accident reconstruction involving issues of biomechanics, mechanical, traffic, and human factors engineering.
