Playground monitoring system

A public playground is associated with the risk of acts of vandalism, littering and the use of equipment contrary to its intended use. Unfortunately, the costs of removing the damage fall on the administrator of the playground. It is worth investing in the installation of monitoring, which will reduce the problem of damaging the playground.

The problem of vandalism in playgrounds is still a big problem in public places. It is primarily about destroying equipment, devices and additional infrastructure, as well as littering the area and leaving objects that pose a threat to children, such as broken bottles, caps or other sharp objects.

Monitoring is also an important issue in the event of accidents that may occur on the playground. Many times, thanks to the recordings, it was possible to assess the actual course of events and eliminate potential threats to users.

If you want to submit an application under the PFRON Available Public Space program in module C for an accessible playground, it is worth remembering about the requirement of the regulations stating the need to make the project result available to the widest possible group of users, which means changing the nature of the playground at, for example, a foundation, center or kindergarten from a closed to public. At this stage, it is also worth considering the purchase of a monitoring kit, which will allow you to reduce the costs of possible repairs resulting from vandalism in the future.

Image registration

Data processing, including monitoring, is allowed only on the basis of the provisions indicated in art. 6 of the GDPR (or Article 9 of the GDPR in the case of special categories of personal data). In the case of personal data from monitoring conducted by entities, the basis for data processing is the implementation of the legitimate interest of the administrator referred to in art. 6 sec. 1 lit. f GDPR, i.e. most often issues related to the destruction of property or the need to ensure security in a given area. Other provisions, however, apply to public authorities.

It is worth writing down an information clause regarding video surveillance in a given facility and making it available for inspection either on the information board or on the administrator's website. It is important that persons subject to monitoring are aware of the registration rules and who they can contact in the context of processing their own personal data. The clause should therefore include information on the scope of monitoring, the monitored area, data to the data controller and the person responsible for the protection of personal data, as well as the method of recording (continuous or temporary recording) and the time of data storage and circumstances that encourage the disclosure of data to specific institutions. Visual monitoring is also indicated by graphic signs (pictograms) placed on the premises of the facility.

Technical requirements

Which monitoring system to choose best? First of all, you need to adjust it to your space. If a playground at, for example, a kindergarten, foundation or rehabilitation center is to be monitored, it cannot cover the neighboring buildings belonging to private persons or other owners. The purchase should include the purchase and installation of digital cameras, a recorder with a hard disk, a monitor and the appropriate cabling.

The number of cameras and their location should therefore correspond to the real needs of the area. The cameras should be of high resolution (Full HD) for a clear image that will allow people to be identified. IP cameras usually offer better image quality than analog CCTV cameras. The cameras must also be resistant to weather conditions (rain, wind, dust, changing temperatures), and their housing must be robust, resistant to vandalism. It is also worth checking whether the cameras have IR diodes for recording in low light conditions, so that the image is clear also after dark.

When it comes to recording and storing data, the cameras can record to memory cards, hard drives or in the cloud. Depending on whether it is possible to connect them to the Internet or not, this option should be selected. If you are recording to disk, you'd better choose a larger capacity to keep enough data. Cameras equipped with motion detection can help save disk space by recording only when something is happening.

Another important consideration is whether the camera kit is relatively easy to install and configure. Some systems offer plug-and-play technology and it is worth looking for such solutions. It is also necessary to check whether they offer the possibility of connecting to an external Internet source (WiFi, LTE) if such access is available and the institution wants to acquire data in this way.

A convenient option is also remote access via the Internet, thanks to which authorized persons can monitor the live image from any place.

It is also worth checking whether the manufacturer offers technical support and a product warranty.