Pashek+MTR Reflections on 2025
Are your playgrounds safe, accessible, and ready for play?
Each year, there are an estimated 200,000 playground-related injuries in the U.S. that result in emergency room treatment, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
At Pashek + MTR, we offer professional playground audit services to help communities, schools, and parks maintain safe, inclusive, and enjoyable play environments. Our Certified Playground Inspectors (CPSIs) and our Accessibility Specialist can identify potential hazards, assess compliance with ASTM, CPSC and accessibility standards, and provide clear recommendations for maintenance and upgrades.
Regular CPSI audits are an important part of a comprehensive playground risk management plan that should also include a program of frequent and systematic preventive maintenance. Playground audits can help identify issues early, to help reduce the risk of injury and extend the life of playground equipment—ensuring these cherished spaces remain fun and safe for years to come.
Some of the areas that our CPSIs typically review during a playground audit include:
- Proper surfacing
- Adequate equipment use zones
- Accessible routes
- Protrusion, entanglement and head entrapment hazards
- Crush and shear hazards and sharp edges
Let us help you keep your playgrounds safe, inclusive, and ready for play.
Contact Heather Cuyler, our lead Certified Playground Inspector, at hcuyler at pashekmtr.com to discuss your needs further.
Heather Fuller Receives Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner Certification
Last month Heather obtained an Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner Certification through the International Code Council. This certification demonstrates her knowledge and commitment to site and building accessibility.
It is critical to apply accessible design principles in order to create more inclusive spaces for everyone. Complying with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), and other building accessibility codes can be a complex and challenging process. Heather has over ten years of experience working with these standards and helps us smoothly navigate through each design phase to achieve accessibility and avoid costly complications down the line.
With this certification Heather can perform:
- Plan reviews to verify they are designed to be in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and/or local accessibility codes before construction begins;
- Site inspections to verify a site meets all applicable accessibility requirements during or after the completion of construction;
- Site assessments to identify any items or areas of non-compliance in existing facilities;
- Consulting in the development of strategies for on-going proactive accessibility needs.
Pashek+MTR Diversity & Inclusion Statement
Pashek+MTR adopted the following Diversity & Inclusion policies in 2018.
Pashek + MTR Workforce Diversity Policy
Pashek+MTR, Ltd. is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Our human capital is the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and company’s achievement as well. As creative professionals, we draw inspiration and insights from exposure to a wide variety of ideas and lived experiences.
We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.
Pashek + MTR Diversity and Inclusion Vision
Pashek+MTR, Ltd. is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion. We recognize that diversity is a driver of creativity and innovation in our practice that helps us serve our clients and communities better. By creating a diverse and inclusive workplace we can better attract and retain talented professionals, contributing to our company’s success.
Our diversity and inclusion vision:
- Pashek+MTR is an inclusive and welcoming environment.
- We are mindful of issues of inclusion, equity and representation in our design and planning work.
- We contribute to building a diverse and inclusive design profession.