Industrial Innovations

Industrial Innovations

Safety Risk Assessment of Children's Playgrounds in Arak City Parks Using the FMEA Technique

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohammadreza Vesali Naseh 1
Mobina Karchani 2
Abolfazl Takallou Bighash Abolfazl Takallou Bighash 3
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran.
2 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran
3 Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic Azad University Arak Branch, Arak, Iran
10.61882/jii.3.1.32
Abstract
This study aimed to identify and assess safety risks in children’s playgrounds in urban parks in Arak using the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) technique. The research follows a descriptive-analytical and survey-based approach, with data collected from library resources, safety standards, and field studies, including site visits, observations, and on-site inspections. FMEA was applied for data analysis, and Excel was used for statistical calculations. To examine common playground hazards, an FMEA worksheet was completed for each park, assessing 21 criteria across five categories: lighting equipment, shading structures, protective surfaces, playground equipment, and the playground surroundings. The assessment revealed that 10% of the studied parks contained high-risk (critical) playgrounds, while 80% exhibited moderate-risk (semi-critical) conditions. The absence of shading structures and lack of age-based equipment segregation were identified as major critical hazards, affecting all examined parks. The findings indicate that the safety conditions of children’s playgrounds in Arak’s urban parks are inadequate. Thus, urban managers should assess and improve playground safety, prioritizing corrective actions for critical-risk parks to prevent accidents and enhance children’s safety.
Keywords
risk assessment
safety
FMEA technique
children playground
urban park
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  • Receive Date 16 June 2025
  • Revise Date 02 September 2025
  • Accept Date 16 September 2025