At Flesherton Concrete Products, we understand that parents worry about their children’s safety. It’s perfectly natural for you to want to know what your children come into contact with, especially if there’s a chance that what they’re playing with could contain harmful substances. One concern we’ve heard from parents is the worry that the sand on their children’s playgrounds might contain harmful minerals. We assure you that our playground sand is perfectly safe, and we want to take this opportunity to clarify some of the misinformation surrounding this issue.
One source of the anxiety surrounding playground sand seems to be California Proposition 65. Some playground sand manufacturers put Prop 65 warnings on their packaging, but rarely explain why they are there or who these warnings are intended for. The proposition concerns regulations for silica, which is another name for quartz, the main component of sand. These warning labels have led some to believe that all silica is dangerous, even the crystal form that makes up playground sand. In reality this is not the case, as the Prop 65 regulations concern respirable silica particles, i.e. fine silica dust that can get deep in your lungs. It’s true that this dust can lead to health problems, but said dust is created when sand is crushed or pulverized or used in sandblasting operations–there’s no way for your children to create it by accident. In addition, the warnings about silica dust are intended for industrial workers who are exposed to the dust for 8 or more hours a day over a period of many years. Your children are perfectly safe to enjoy their sandy playground during recess or summer break.
At Flesherton Concrete Products, we want to help keep your children safe. If you have further questions about our playground sand, you can contact our team to learn more.