Woodchip for school. Health risk?

[samiad]

Hello there

 

A few schools have asked me to drop wood chip for play areas but im a bit worried about the spores/fungi or whatever it is that can cause chest problems?

 

any ideas how to reduce the chance/stop this (besides not giving them chip!)

[Aunt Maud]

The air you breath is full of millions of spores already.

[Darrin Turnbull]

Some reading

http://www.healthyschools.org/HSNPlaygrdGuide.pdf

[SteveA]

  Darrin Turnbull said:

Some reading

http://www.healthyschools.org/HSNPlaygrdGuide.pdf

 

Cor blimey guv.... asbestos in children's play sand and complete lack of regulations! That's just stupid.

 

That relates to California but I wonder if it's the same for the UK??

 

When I was reading up about Farmers Lung research says that children aren't affected by mouldy hay, etc in the same way as us adults (although I'm not saying there aren't isolated examples of that).

That makes sense because our son was breathing the same spores that had me coughing for a month.... he was absolutely fine (was age 3 then).

 

cheers, steve

[justin131]

i alwayts use a mask when moving old chip you can see the amount of green mould and spores in the air. but once the wood chip has settled it should be ok (this is just a guess)

as we use it on pathways and flower bed and you don't see mould and spores get kicked up in the air when walking on it. i think the mould would stay under the top layer as condition's for propagation would be damp and dark.

[dig-dug-dan]

Are you supplying the woodchip for free?

[Midge]

Don't do it. If some of the kids did get sick because of the chip you dropped off could see a whole world of trouble coming your way!

 

Not saying it would be your fault I just know I wouldn't want the aggro!

[detritus21]

Even play bark has spores un it. Once spread out on the floor I really wouldn't worry

[samiad]

Thanks for all the info, maybe il do some kind of a disclaimer.Im providing it for free unless they are miles away in which case i was just going to ask for fuel.

[renewablejohn]

I have two schools where I have provided all the "forestry" products but woodchip is a definite no no. instead I had to provide timber steps for pathways made out of 1 inch thick timber rings.