If you answered Yes to either of these questions you may find the following information very useful. Unfortunately, most instruction manuals that come with the purchase of your play equipment contain no information on the type of surface to be installed under your equipment. The purpose of this brochure is to provide that information. The advice given in this brochure is meant to prevent, or reduce the seriousness of injuries from a fall to the ground. Since no safety standards exist for home playground equipment, our advice is drawn from practical experience in the field, as well as on the 1990 Canadian Guideline on Children's Playspaces and Equipment.
Many parents install their playground equipment on lawns .
However, lawns are not safe surfaces. Earth and asphalt surfaces are even more strongly discouraged. In this document, we will discuss only sand, because it is the material accessible to most parents. We suggest using concrete sand, which is recommended in the Guideline on Children's Playspaces and Equipment. This type of sand has even-sized particles and does not compact.