When playgrounds share… horror!
Allegations for illegal playgrounds with money from NSRF.
A child was killed and another will always be terrorized. Playgrounds and amusement parks have turned the joy of our children to a nightmare! Why? The application of laws in our country is selective! Instead for the Interior Minister Michelakis to hurry and scrape all criminal negligence in dangerous playgrounds and amusement parks of shame, he reminded how strict the legislative framework is. Yes, the law is strict, but why does he emphasize the severity, when it does not apply?
Illegal playgrounds with money from NSRF!
In November 2011 the President of the Association of Private Pancretan Nursery and vice president of the Panhellenic Federation, Georgios Pintzopoulos, talked to the local network Crete TV about illegal playgrounds: "Some have no license and I think the most. Others have a license for a canteen. And some serious people have authorized playgrounds that act like playgrounds. However, the majority operates illegally. Except unlicensed playgrounds, they operate illegally and as kindergartens".
The issue of illegal operation and notably dangerous playgrounds is a pretty old topic. From Crete to Thessaloniki, since 2007 the then member of PASOK Magriotis denounced in the Parliament and also asked the then Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos: "There are playgrounds that operate for some time without permission, while in many cases the workers don't have formal qualifications and special pedagogical knowledge. Typical of this situation is that there isn't a clear record of the number of playgrounds currently operating in the urban area of Thessaloniki. Moreover, according to complaints to the Consumer Protection Centre, there are serious delays and deficiencies in the controls carried out by competent services. As a result of the illegal operation and shortages in many playgrounds, the safety of children is endangered". These since 2007 and now we reach the tragic April of this year with a child killed at the moment of joy! On the other side, after complaints from the competent body, it was determined that there are few playgrounds that aren't listed as such, but as Creative Entertainment Centers. Why? As Pintzopoulos has mentioned, because with this title they can finance their business through NSRF!
Hashish cultivation has been detected in a playground!
The situation is uncontrollable. We mention that last summer a owner was arrested in a playground at Mytilene because she was spotted by the police cultivating cannabis in pots even in the playground!
What is the law on playgrounds?
Responsible for the legal and correct operation of playgrounds is EVETAM. Authorizations are given by the Municipalities. Automatic checks aren't entitled to EVETAM simply because of the Law. Only city officials or police following a complaint can intervene. Children are essentially controlled by conscientiousness of each owner! And yet another infuriating element is that EOT could authorize playgrounds in tourist areas without permission from EVETAM. Why? For the avoidance of bureaucracy that will hurt the... success story!
On the other hand, however, the legislative framework set out in the Ministerial Decision MD 28492/2009, Gov. V931 is very stringent as it should, but doesn't apply. It provides inter alia: the playground area shouldn't be next to structures that cause air and noise pollution and use hazardous materials to health, not less than 300 meters from electromagnetic radiation facilities or high voltage pylons, have a drinking water fountain, have proper fencing, have access for the disabled, have points of shading from the sun, etc. In regard to the materials from which it is constructed, the equipment should be checked for asbestos, toxic or flammable paints etc. Here there was the maximum liability of most municipalities in the country, which haven't harmonized with the Ministerial Decision, so at this time playgrounds that are highly dangerous and unsuitable for children could operate. We note that each municipality has an Audit Committee for playgrounds. And many committees rushed to create in violation of MD 2009, in 2012 and several others in 2013! Many can't operate because of the lack of money due to the economic crisis. And instead to seal playgrounds, the dangerous ones are left open!
Carcinogenic lead on children
In 2009, in part of a major investigation in some U.S. states, about how secure the external and internal playgrounds are, it was found inter alia that the largest proportion included inflatable games that their plastic was a full of lead! A similar survey has never been done in our country in a coordinated form, as the authorities are mobilized only after a complaint, if one parent moves to justice after an accident or in the worst case if something tragic happens and the issue is automatically released. Regarding the issue of PVC in inflatable toys, normal and by law they must be labeled "lead free", which means that the material doesn't contain carcinogenic lead.
Thousands of injuries in the EU
According to previous researches, in the European Union close to 300,000 children are injured each year in playgrounds. Incidents which are rendered by experts to unsafe equipment that some choose to set up a company for the most vulnerable group of the population, such as children. In our country, we mention that the recorded injuries in children playgrounds only in Attica according to data from the Center for Research and Prevention of Child Accidents reached 777 in 2012! Not long ago a child playing in a playground in the village of the municipality of Topeiros in Xanthi lost his finger due to some damaged equipment left gaping!
