Source: https://www.scribd.com/doc/13733395/Public-Playground-Safety
Timestamp: 2016-12-03 19:41:34
Document Index: 234685830

Matched Legal Cases: ['§2', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§1', '§2', '§2', '§3', '§5', '§5', 'art 1303', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§2', '§3', '§5', '§3', '§3']

BrowseInterestsBiography & MemoirBusiness & LeadershipFiction & LiteraturePolitics & EconomyHealth & WellnessSociety & CultureHappiness & Self-HelpMystery, Thriller & CrimeHistoryYoung AdultBrowse byBooksAudiobooksArticlesSheet MusicBrowse allUploadSign inJoinPublic Playground Safety HandbookU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
This draft document was prepared by CPSC staff and has not been reviewed or approved by, and may not necessarily represent the views of, the Commission.
1. 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4.1 1.5 1.5.1 1.5.2 1.5.3 1.5.4 1.6 1.7 1.8 2 2.1 2.1.1 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4 2.2.5 2.2.6 2.3 2.3.1 2.4 2.4.1 2.4.2 2.5 2.5.1 2.5.2 2.5.3 2.5.4 2.5.5 2.6 3 3.1 3.2 3.2.1 3.3 3.3.1 3.3.2 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Page No. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 What is a Public Playground? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Public Playground Safety Voluntary Standards and CPSC Handbook History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 ASTM playground standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Significant Revisions for 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Equipment guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Surfacing guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 General guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Other revisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Playground Injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 General Playground Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Selecting a Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Shading considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Playground Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Accessibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Age separation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Conflicting activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Sight lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Signage and/or labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Supervision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Selecting Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Equipment not recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Surfacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Equipment not covered by protective surfacing recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Selecting a surfacing material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Equipment Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Durability and finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Paints and finishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Assembly and Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Playground Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Crush and Shearing Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Entanglement and Impalement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Strings and ropes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Entrapment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Head entrapment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Sharp Points, Corners, and Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Suspended Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Tripping Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Used Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 5 5.1 5.1.1 5.1.2 5.1.3 5.2 5.2.1 5.2.2 5.2.3 5.2.4 5.3 5.3.1 5.3.2 5.3.3 5.3.4 5.3.5 5.3.6 5.3.7 5.3.8 5.3.9
Maintaining a Playground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Maintenance Inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Maintaining Loose-Fill Surfacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Recordkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Parts of the Playground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Platforms, Guardrails and Protective Barriers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Stepped platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Guardrails and protective barriers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Access Methods to Play Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Ramps, stairways, rung ladders, and step ladders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Rungs and other hand gripping components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Handrails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Transition from access to platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Major Types of Playground Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Balance beams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Climbing and upper body equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Log rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Merry-go-rounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Seesaws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Slides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Spring rockers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Swings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Fall height and use zones not specified elsewhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
A Appendix A: Suggested General Maintenance Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 B Appendix B: Playground Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 B.1 Templates, Gauges, and Testing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 B.2 Test Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 B.2.1 Determining whether a projection is a protrusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 B.2.2 Projections on suspended members of swing assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 B.2.3 Projections on slides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 B.2.4 Angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 B.2.5 Entrapment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 B.2.6 Test fixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
• Commercial (non-residential) child care facilities • Institutions • Multiple family dwellings, such as apartment and condominium buildings • Parks, such as city, state, and community maintained parks • Restaurants • Resorts and recreational developments • Schools • Other areas of public use These guidelines are not intended for amusement park equipment, sports or fitness equipment normally intended for users over the age of 12 years, soft contained play equipment, constant air inflatable play devices for home use, art and museum sculptures (not otherwise designed, intended and installed as playground equipment), equipment found in water play facilities, or home playground equipment. Equipment components intended solely for the disabled and modified to accommodate such users also are not covered by these guidelines. Indoor child care facilities should refer to ASTM F2373 — Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Public Use Play Equipment for Children 6 Months Through 23 Months, for more guidance on areas unique to their facilities.
This handbook presents safety information for public playground equipment in the form of guidelines. Publication of this handbook is expected to promote greater safety awareness among those who purchase, install, and maintain public playground equipment. Because many factors may affect playground safety, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff believes that guidelines, rather than a mandatory rule, are appropriate. These guidelines are not being issued as the sole method to minimize injuries associated with playground equipment. However, CPSC staff believes that the recommendations in this handbook will contribute to greater playground safety. Some states and local jurisdictions may require compliance with this handbook and/or ASTM voluntary standards. Additionally, risk managers, insurance companies, or others may require compliance at a particular site; check with state/local jurisdictions and insurance companies for specific requirements.
1.4 Public Playground Safety Voluntary Standards and CPSC Handbook History
• 1981 – First CPSC Handbook for Public Playground Safety was published, a two-volume set. • 1991 – Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment, ASTM F1292, was first published. • 1991 – Two-volume set was replaced by a single-volume handbook, which contained recommendations based on a COMSIS Corporation report to the CPSC (Development of Human Factors Criteria for Playground Equipment Safety). • 1993 – First version of voluntary standard for public playground equipment, ASTM F1487 — Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use, was published (revisions occur every 3 to 4 years).
This handbook is intended for use by childcare personnel, school officials, parks and recreation personnel, equipment purchasers and installers, playground designers, and any other members of the general public (e.g., parents and school groups) concerned with public playground safety and interested in evaluating their respective playgrounds. Due to the wide range of possible users, some information provided may be more appropriate for certain users than others.
“Public” playground equipment refers to equipment for use by children ages 6 months through 12 years in the playground areas of:
• 1994 – Minor revisions to the Handbook. • 1997 – Handbook was updated based on (1) staff review of ASTM F1487, (2) playground safety roundtable meeting held October 1996, and (3) public comment received to a May 1997 CPSC staff request. • 2005 – First version of voluntary standard for playground equipment intended for children under two years old, ASTM F2373 — Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Public Use Play Equipment for Children 6 Months Through 23 Months, was published. • 2008 – Handbook was updated based on comments received from members of the ASTM F15 Playground Committees in response to a CPSC staff request for suggested revisions. Significant revisions are listed below. 1.4.1 ASTM playground standards Below is a list of ASTM standards that relate to playgrounds: • F1487 Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use. • F2373 Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Public Use Play Equipment for Children 6 Months through 23 Months. • F1292 Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment. • F2075 Standard Specification for Engineered Wood Fiber for Use as a Playground Safety Surface Under and Around Playground Equipment. • F2223 Standard Guide for ASTM Standards on Playground Surfacing. • F2479 Standard Guide for Specification, Purchase, Installation and Maintenance of Poured-In-Place Playground Surfacing. • F1951 Standard Specification for Determination of Accessibility of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment. • F1816 Standard Safety Specification for Drawstrings on Children's Upper Outerwear. • F2049 Standard Guide for Fences/Barriers for Public, Commercial, and Multi-Family Residential Use Outdoor Play Areas. • F1148 Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Home Playground Equipment.
• F1918 Standard Safety Performance Specification for Soft Contained Play Equipment.
1.5.1 Equipment guidelines • Age ranges expanded to include children as young as 6 months based on ASTM F2373 • Guidelines for track rides and log rolls added • Exit zone requirements for slides harmonized with ASTM F1487 1.5.2 Surfacing guidelines • Critical height table revised • Suggestions for surfacing over asphalt added 1.5.3 General guidelines • Suggestions on sun exposure added 1.5.4 Other revisions • Editorial changes to make the Handbook easier to understand and use
The safety of each individual piece of playground equipment as well as the layout of the entire play area should be considered when designing or evaluating a playground for safety. Since falls are a very common playground hazard pattern, the installation and maintenance of protective surfacing under and around all equipment is crucial to protect children from severe head injuries. Because all playgrounds present some challenge and because children can be expected to use equipment in unintended and unanticipated ways, adult supervision is highly recommended. The handbook provides some guidance on supervisory practices that adults should follow. Appropriate equipment design, layout, and maintenance, as discussed in this handbook, are also essential for increasing public playground safety. A playground should allow children to develop gradually and test their skills by providing a series of graduated challenges. The challenges presented should be appropriate for agerelated abilities and should be ones that children can per-
ceive and choose to undertake. Toddlers, preschool- and school-age children differ dramatically, not only in physical size and ability, but also in their intellectual and social skills. Therefore, age-appropriate playground designs should accommodate these differences with regard to the type, scale, and the layout of equipment. Recommendations throughout this handbook address the different needs of toddlers, preschool-age, and school-age children; “toddlers” refers to children ages 6 months through 2 years of age, “preschool-age” refers to children 2 through 5 years, and “school-age” refers to children 5 through 12 years. The overlap between these groups is anticipated in terms of playground equipment use and provides for a margin of safety. Playground designers, installers and operators should be aware that the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a comprehensive civil rights law which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Titles II and III of the ADA require, among other things, that newly constructed and altered State and local government facilities, places of public accommodation, and commercial facilities be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. Recreation facilities, including play areas, are among the types of facilities covered by titles II and III of the ADA. The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Boards – also referred to as the “Access Board” – has developed accessibility guidelines for newly constructed and altered play areas that were published October 2000. The play area guidelines are a supplement to the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). Once these guidelines are adopted as enforceable standards by the Department of Justice, all newly constructed and altered play areas covered by the ADA will be required to comply. These guidelines also apply to play areas covered by the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). Copies of the play area accessibility guidelines and further technical assistance can be obtained from the U.S. Access Board, 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-1111; 800-872-2253, 800-993-2822 (TTY), www.access-board.gov.
study of public playground equipment-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms indicated that the majority (79%) resulted from falls from equipment.1 These were primarily falls to the ground surface below the equipment rather than falls from one part of the equipment to another part. Other hazard patterns involved colliding with stationary equipment and contact with hazards such as protrusions, crush or shear points, sharp edges, hot surfaces, and playground debris. Fatal injuries reported to the Commission involved falls, entanglement of clothing or other items, entanglement in ropes, head entrapment in openings, and impact from equipment tip over or structural failure. The recommendations in this handbook have been developed to address the hazards that resulted in playgroundrelated injuries and deaths. The recommendations include those that address: • The potential for falls from and impact with equipment • The need for impact attenuating protective surfacing under and around equipment • Openings with the potential for head entrapment • The scale of equipment and other design features related to user age and layout of equipment on a playground • Installation and maintenance procedures • General hazards presented by protrusions, sharp edges, and crush or shear points
Barrier — An enclosing device around an elevated platform that is intended to prevent both inadvertent and deliberate attempts to pass through the device. Composite Structure — Two or more play components attached or directly adjacent to each other creating one integral unit that provides more than one play activity (e.g., combination climber, slide, and horizontal ladder). Critical Height — The fall height below which a life-threatening head injury would not be expected to occur. Designated Play Surface — Any elevated surface for standing, walking, crawling, sitting or climbing, or a flat surface greater than 2 inches wide by 2 inches long having an angle less than 30° from horizontal.
The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has long recognized the potential hazards that exist with the use of public playground equipment. The most recent CPSC staff
Tinsworth, D.K. and McDonald, J.E.; Special Study: Injuries and Deaths Associated with Children’s Playground Equipment. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Washington DC, April 2001.
Embankment Slide — A slide that follows the contour of the ground and at no point is the bottom of the chute greater than 12 inches above the surrounding ground. Entanglement — A condition in which the user’s clothes or something around the user’s neck becomes caught or entwined on a component of playground equipment. Entrapment — Any condition that impedes withdrawal of a body or body part that has penetrated an opening. Fall Height — The vertical distance between the highest designated play surface on a piece of equipment and the protective surfacing beneath it. Footing — A means for anchoring playground equipment to the ground. Full Bucket Seat Swing — A swing generally appropriate for children under 4 years of age that provides support on all sides and between the legs of the occupant and cannot be entered or exited without adult assistance. Geotextile (filter) Cloth — A fabric that retains its relative structure during handling, placement, and long-term service to enhance water movement, retard soil movement, and to add reinforcement and separation between the soil and the surfacing and/or sub-base. Guardrail — An enclosing device around an elevated platform that is intended to prevent inadvertent falls from the elevated surface. Infill — Material(s) used in a protective barrier or between decks to prevent a user from passing through the barrier (e.g., vertical bars, lattice, solid panel, etc.). Loose-Fill Surfacing Material — A material used for protective surfacing in the use zone that consists of loose particles such as sand, gravel, engineered wood fibers, or shredded rubber. Preschool-Age Children — Children 2 years of age through 5 years of age. Projection — Hardware that extends outward from a surface of the playground equipment and must be tested to determine whether it is a protrusion or entanglement hazard, or both.
Protective Barrier — See Barrier. Protective Surfacing — Shock absorbing (i.e., impact attenuating) surfacing material in the use zone that conforms to the recommendations in §2.4 of this handbook. Protrusion — A projection which, when tested, is found to be a hazard having the potential to cause bodily injury to a user who impacts it, or whose clothing becomes entangled on it. Roller Slide — A slide that has a chute consisting of a series of individual rollers over which the user travels. School-Age Children — Children 5 years of age through 12 years of age. Slide Chute — The inclined sliding surface of a slide. Stationary Play Equipment — Any play structure that has a fixed base and does not move. Supervisor — Any person tasked with watching children on a playground. Supervisors may be paid professionals (e.g., childcare, elementary school or park and recreation personnel), paid seasonal workers (e.g., college or high school students), volunteers (e.g., PTA members), or unpaid caregivers (e.g., parents) of the children playing in the playground. Toddlers — Children 6 months through 2 years of age. Tube Slide — A slide in which the chute consists of a totally enclosed tube or tunnel. Unitary Surfacing Material — A manufactured material used for protective surfacing in the use zone that may be rubber tiles, mats, or a combination of energy absorbing materials held in place by a binder that may be poured in place at the playground site and cures to form a unitary shock absorbing surface. Upper Body Equipment — Equipment designed to support a child by the hands only (e.g., horizontal ladder, overhead swinging rings). Use Zone — The surface under and around a piece of equipment onto which a child falling from or exiting from the equipment would be expected to land. These areas are also designated for unrestricted circulation around the equipment.
The following factors are important when selecting a site for a new playground: Site Factor
Travel patterns of children to and from the playground Nearby accessible hazards such as roads with traffic, lakes, ponds, streams, drop-offs/cliffs, etc.
If yes, then…Mediation
Could a child inadvertently run into a nearby hazard? Could younger children easily wander off toward the hazard?
Provide a method to contain children within the playground. For example, a dense hedge or a fence. The method should allow for observation by supervisors. If fences are used, they should conform to local building codes and/or ASTM F-2049. Bare metal slides, platforms, and steps should be shaded or located out of direct sun. Provide warnings that equipment and surfacing exposed to intense sun can burn.
Will children be exposed to the sun during the most intense part of the day? Slope and drainage Will loose fill materials wash away during periods of heavy rain?
Consider shading the playground or providing shaded areas nearby. Consider proper drainage regrading to prevent wash outs.
2.1.1 Shading considerations According to the American Academy of Dermatology, research indicates that one in five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime, and five or more sunburns double the risk of developing skin cancer. Utilizing existing shade (e.g., trees), designing play structures as a means for providing shading (e.g., elevated platforms with shaded space below), or creating more shade (e.g., manmade structures) are potential ways to design a playground to help protect children’s skin from the sun. When trees are used for shade, additional maintenance issues arise, such as the need for cleaning up debris and trimming limbs.
2.2.1 Accessibility Special consideration should be given to providing accessible surfaces in a play area that meets the ASTM Standard Specification for Determination of Accessibility of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment, ASTM F1951. Equipment selection and location along with the type of protective surfacing are key components to ensuring the opportunity for children with disabilities to play on the playground. 2.2.2 Age separation For playgrounds intended to serve children of all ages, the layout of pathways and the landscaping of the playground should show the distinct areas for the different age groups. The areas should be separated at least by a buffer zone, which could be an area with shrubs or benches. This separation and buffer zone will reduce the chance of injury from older, more active children running through areas filled with younger children with generally slower movement and reaction times. 2.2.3 Conflicting activities The play area should be organized into different sections to prevent injuries caused by conflicting activities and children running between activities. Active, physical activities should be separate from more passive or quiet activities. Areas for playground equipment, open fields, and sand boxes should be located in different sections of the playground. In addition, popular, heavy-use pieces of equipment or activities should be dispersed to avoid crowding in any one area. Different types of equipment have different use zones that must be maintained. The following are general recommendations for locating equipment within the playground site. Specific use zones for equipment are given in §5.3. • Moving equipment, such as swings and merry-go-rounds, should be located toward a corner, side, or edge of the play area while ensuring that the appropriate use zones around the equipment are maintained. • Slide exits should be located in an uncongested area of the playground. • Use zones for moving equipment, such as swings and merry-go-rounds, and slide exits should not overlap the use zone of other equipment, regardless of height. – One exemption is for moving equipment where the diameter of the platform is less than 20 inches and the designated play surface of the adjacent equipment is less than 30 inches.
Composite play structures have become increasingly popular on public playgrounds. Adjacent components on composite structures should be complementary. 2.2.4 Sight lines Playgrounds that are designed, installed, and maintained in accordance with safety guidelines and standards can still present hazards to children. Playgrounds should be laid out to allow parents or caregivers to keep track of children as they move throughout the playground environment. Visual barriers should be minimized as much as possible. For example, in a park situation, playground equipment should be as visible as possible from park benches. In playgrounds with areas for different ages, the older children’s area should be visible from the younger children’s area to ensure that caregivers of multiple children can see older children while they are engaged in interactive play with younger ones. 2.2.5 Signage and/or labeling Although the intended user group should be obvious from the design and scale of equipment, signs and/or labels posted in the playground area or on the equipment should give some guidance to supervisors as to the age appropriateness of the equipment. 2.2.6 Supervision The quality of the supervision depends on the quality of the supervisor’s knowledge of safe play behavior. Playground designers should be aware of the type of supervision most likely for their given playground. Depending on the location and nature of the playground, the supervisors may be paid professionals (e.g., childcare, elementary school or park and recreation personnel), paid seasonal workers (e.g., college or high school students), volunteers (e.g., PTA members), or unpaid caregivers (e.g., parents) of the children playing in the playground. Parents and playground supervisors should be aware that not all playground equipment is appropriate for all children who may use the playground. Supervisors should look for posted signs indicating the appropriate age of the users and direct children to equipment appropriate for their age. Supervisors may also use the information in Table 1 to determine the suitability of the equipment for the children they are supervising. Toddlers and preschool-age children require more
attentive supervision than older children; however, one should not rely on supervision alone to prevent injuries. Supervisors should understand the basics of playground safety such as: • Checking for broken equipment and making sure children don’t play on it. • Checking for and removing unsafe modifications, especially ropes tied to equipment, before letting children play. • Checking for properly maintained protective surfacing. • Making sure children are wearing foot wear. • Watching and stopping dangerous horseplay, such as children throwing protective surfacing materials, jumping from heights, etc. • Watching for and stopping children from wandering away from the play area.
When selecting playground equipment, it is important to know the age range of the children who will be using the playground. Children at different ages and stages of development have different needs and abilities. Playgrounds should be designed to stimulate children and encourage them to develop new skills, but should be in scale with their sizes, abilities, and developmental levels. Consideration should also be given to providing play equipment that is accessible to children with disabilities and encourages integration within the playground. Table 1 shows the appropriate age range for various pieces of playground equipment. This is not an all-comprehensive list and, therefore, should not limit inclusion of current or newly designed equipment that is not specifically mentioned. For equipment listed in more than one group, there may be some modifications or restrictions based on age, so consult the specific recommendations in §5.3.
TABLE 1. AGE APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT
Toddler —Under 2
• Climbing equipment under 32” high • Ramps • Single file step ladders • Slides* • Spiral slides less than 360° • Spring rockers • Stairways • Swings with full bucket seats
Preschool — Ages 2-5
• Certain climbers** • Horizontal ladders less than or equal to 60” high for ages 4 and 5 • Merry-go-rounds • Ramps • Rung ladders • Single file step ladders • Slides* • Spiral slides up to 360° • Spring rockers • Stairways • Swings – belt, full bucket seats (2-4 years) & rotating tire
Grade School — Ages 5-12
• Arch climbers • Chain or cable walks • Free standing climbing events with flexible parts • Fulcrum seesaws • Ladders – Horizontal, Rung, & Step • Overhead rings*** • Merry-go-rounds • Ramps • Ring treks • Slides* • Spiral slides more than one 360° turn • Stairways • Swings – belt & rotating tire • Track rides • Vertical sliding poles *** See §5.3.2.5
* See §5.3.6
2.3.1 Equipment not recommended Some playground equipment is not recommended for use on public playgrounds, including: • Trampolines • Swinging gates • Giant strides • Climbing ropes that are not secured at both ends. • Heavy metal swings (e.g., animal figures) – These are not recommended because their heavy rigid metal framework presents a risk of impact injury. • Multiple occupancy swings – With the exception of tire swings, swings that are intended for more than one user are not recommended because their greater mass, as compared to single occupancy swings, presents a risk of impact injury. • Rope swings – Free-swinging ropes that may fray or otherwise form a loop are not recommended because they present a potential strangulation hazard. • Swinging dual exercise rings and trapeze bars – These are rings and trapeze bars on long chains that are generally considered to be items of athletic equipment and are not recommended for public playgrounds. NOTE: The recommendation against the use of exercise rings does not apply to overhead hanging rings such as those used in a ring trek or ring ladder (see Figure 7).
ASTM F1292 Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment. Testing using the methods described in ASTM F1292 will provide a “critical height” rating of the surface. This height can be considered as an approximation of the fall height below which a life-threatening head injury would not be expected to occur. Manufacturers and installers of playground protective surfacing should provide the critical height rating of their materials. This rating should be greater than or equal to the fall height of the highest piece of equipment on the playground. The fall height of a piece of equipment is the distance between the highest designated play surface on a piece of equipment and the protective surface beneath it. Details for determining the highest designated play surface and fall height on some types of equipment are included in §5 Parts of the Playground. 2.4.1 Equipment not covered by protective surfacing recommendations The recommendations for protective surfacing do not apply to equipment that requires a child to be standing or sitting at ground level. Examples of such equipment are: • Sand boxes • Activity walls at ground level • Play houses • Any other equipment that children use when their feet remain in contact with the ground surface 2.4.2 Selecting a surfacing material There are two options available for surfacing public playgrounds: unitary and loose-fill materials. A playground should never be installed without protective surfacing of some type. Concrete, asphalt, or other hard surfaces should never be directly under playground equipment. Grass and dirt are not considered protective surfacing because wear and environmental factors can reduce their shock absorbing effectiveness. Carpeting and mats are also not appropriate unless they are tested to and comply with ASTM F1292. Loose-fill should be avoided for playgrounds intended for toddlers.
The surfacing under and around playground equipment is one of the most important factors in reducing the likelihood of life-threatening head injuries. A fall onto a shock absorbing surface is less likely to cause a serious head injury than a fall onto a hard surface. However, some injuries from falls, including broken limbs, may occur no matter what playground surfacing material is used. The most widely used test method for evaluating the shock absorbing properties of a playground surfacing material is to drop an instrumented metal headform onto a sample of the material and record the acceleration/time pulse during the impact. Field and laboratory test methods are described in
• Any material tested to ASTM F1292, including unitary surfaces, engineered wood fiber, etc. • Pea gravel • Sand • Shredded/recycled rubber mulch • Wood mulch (not CCA-treated) • Wood chips • Asphalt
• Carpet not tested to ASTM F1292 • Concrete • Dirt • Grass • CCA treated wood mulch
2.4.2.1 Unitary surfacing materials Unitary materials are generally rubber mats and tiles or a combination of energy-absorbing materials held in place by a binder that may be poured in place at the playground site and then cured to form a unitary shock absorbing surface. Unitary materials are available from a number of different manufacturers, many of whom have a range of materials with differing shock absorbing properties. New surfacing materials, such as bonded wood fiber and combinations of loose-fill and unitary, are being developed that may also be tested to ASTM F1292 and fall into the unitary materials category. When deciding on the best surfacing materials keep in mind that some dark colored surfacing materials exposed to the intense sun have caused blistering on bare feet. Check with the manufacturer if light colored materials are available or provide shading to reduce direct sun exposure. Persons wishing to install a unitary material as a playground surface should request ASTM F1292 test data from the manufacturer identifying the critical height rating of the desired surface. In addition, site requirements should be obtained from the manufacturer because some unitary materials require installation over a hard surface while others do not. Manufacturer’s instructions should be followed closely, as some unitary systems require professional installation. Testing should be conducted in accordance with the ASTM F1292 standard.
2.4.2.2 Loose-fill surfacing materials Engineered wood fiber (EWF) is a wood product that may look similar in appearance to landscaping mulch, but EWF products are designed specifically for use as a playground safety surface under and around playground equipment. EWF products should meet the specifications in ASTM F2075: Standard Specification for Engineered Wood Fiber and be tested to and comply with ASTM F1292. There are also rubber mulch products that are designed specifically for use as playground surfacing. Make sure they have been tested to and comply with ASTM F1292. When installing these products, tips 1-7 listed below should be followed. Each manufacturer of engineered wood fiber and rubber mulch should provide maintenance requirements for and test data on: • Critical height based on ASTM F1292 impact attenuation testing. • Minimum fill-depth data. • Toxicity. • ADA/ABA accessibility guidelines for firmness and stability based on ASTM F1951.
Other loose-fill materials are generally landscaping-type materials that can be layered to a certain depth and resist compacting. Some examples include wood mulch, wood chips, sand, pea gravel, and shredded/recycled rubber mulch. Important tips when considering loose-fill materials: 1. Loose-fill materials will compress at least 25% over time due to use and weathering. This must be considered when planning the playground. For example, if the playground will require 9 inches of wood chips, then the initial fill level should be 12 inches. See Table 2 below. 2. Loose-fill surfacing requires frequent maintenance to ensure surfacing levels never drop below the minimum depth. Areas under swings and at slide exits are more susceptible to displacement; special attention must be paid to maintenance in these areas. Additionally, wear mats can be installed in these areas to reduce displacement. 3. The perimeter of the playground should provide a method of containing the loose-fill materials. 4. Consider marking equipment supports with a minimum fill level to aid in maintaining the original depth of material. 5. Good drainage is essential to maintaining loose-fill surfacing. Standing water with surfacing material reduces effectiveness and leads to material compaction and decomposition. 6. Critical height may be reduced during winter in areas where the ground freezes. 7. Never use less than 9 inches of loose-fill material. Shallower depths are too easily displaced and compacted.
8. Some loose-fill materials may not meet ADA/ABA accessibility guidelines. For more information, contact the Access Board (see §1.6) or refer to ASTM F1951. 9. Wood mulch containing chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood products should not be used; mulch where the CCA-content is unknown should be avoided (see §2.5.5.1). Table 2 shows the minimum required depths of loose-fill material needed based on material type and fall height. The depths shown assume the materials have been compressed due to use and weathering and are properly maintained to the given level. 2.4.2.3 Installing loose-fill over hard surface CPSC staff strongly recommends against installing playgrounds over hard surfaces, such as asphalt, concrete, or hard packed earth, unless the installation adds the following layers of protection. Immediately over the hard surface there should be a 3- to 6-inch base layer of loose-fill (e.g., gravel for drainage). The next layer should be a Geotextile cloth. On top of that should be a loose-fill layer meeting the specifications addressed in §2.4.2.2 and Table 2. Embedded in the loose-fill layer should be impact attenuating mats under high traffic areas, such as under swings, at slide exits, and other places where displacement is likely. Figure 1 provides a visual representation of this information. Older playgrounds that still exist on hard surfacing should be modified to provide appropriate surfacing.
Shredded/recycled rubber Sand Pea Gravel Wood mulch (non-CCA) Wood chips
2.5.1 Durability and finish • Use equipment that is manufactured and constructed only of materials that have a demonstrated record of durability in a playground or similar setting. • Finishes, treatments, and preservatives should be selected carefully so that they do not present a health hazard to users. 2.5.2 Hardware When installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions: • All fasteners, connectors, and covering devices should not loosen or be removable without the use of tools. • All fasteners, connectors, and covering devices that are exposed to the user should be smooth and should not be likely to cause laceration, penetration, or present a clothing entanglement hazard (see also §3.2 and Appendix B). • Lock washers, self-locking nuts, or other locking means should be provided for all nuts and bolts to protect them from detachment.
• Hardware in moving joints should also be secured against unintentional or unauthorized loosening. • All fasteners should be corrosion resistant and be selected to minimize corrosion of the materials they connect. This is particularly important when using wood treated with ACQ/CBA/CA-B2 as the chemicals in the wood preservative corrode certain metals faster than others. • Bearings or bushings used in moving joints should be easy to lubricate or be self-lubricating. • All hooks, such as S-hooks and C-hooks, should be closed (see also §5.3.8.1). A hook is considered closed if there is no gap or space greater than 0.04 inches, about the thickness of a dime. 2.5.3 Metals • Avoid using bare metal for platforms, slides, or steps. When exposed to direct sunlight they may reach temperatures high enough to cause serious contact burn injuries in a matter of seconds. Use other materials that may reduce the surface temperature, such as but not limited to wood, plastic, or coated metal (see also Slides in §5.3.6). • If bare or painted metal surfaces are used on platforms, steps, and slide beds, they should be oriented so that the surface is not exposed to direct sun year round.
Ammoniacal copper quat (ACQ), copper boron azole (CBA), copper azole type B (CA-B), etc. 11
2.5.4 Paints and finishes • Metals not inherently corrosion resistant should be painted, galvanized, or otherwise treated to prevent rust. • The manufacturer should ensure that the users cannot ingest, inhale, or absorb potentially hazardous amounts of preservative chemicals or other treatments applied to the equipment as a result of contact with playground equipment. • All paints and other similar finishes must meet the current CPSC regulation for lead in paint (0.06% [600ppm] maximum lead by dry weight).3 • Painted surfaces should be maintained to prevent corrosion and deterioration. • Paint and other finishes should be maintained to prevent rusting of exposed metals and to minimize children playing with peeling paint and paint flakes. • Older playgrounds with lead based paints should be identified and a strategy to control lead paint exposure should be developed. Playground managers should consult the October 1996 report, CPSC Staff Recommendations for Identifying and Controlling Lead Paint on Public Playground Equipment.4 2.5.5 Wood • Wood should be either naturally rot- and insect-resistant (e.g., cedar or redwood) or should be treated to avoid such deterioration. • Creosote-treated wood and coatings that contain pesticides should not be used. 2.5.5.1 Pressure-treated wood A significant amount of older playground wood was pressure-treated with chemicals to prevent damage from insects and fungi. Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) was a chemical used for decades in structures (including playgrounds). Since December 31, 2003, CCA-treated wood is no longer processed for use in playground applications. Other rot- and insect-resistant pressure treatments are available that do not contain arsenic; however, when using any of the new treated wood products, be sure to use hardware that is compatible with the wood treatment chemicals. These chemicals are known to corrode certain materials faster than others.
Existing playgrounds with CCA-treated wood Various groups have made suggestions concerning the application of surface coatings to CCA-treated wood (e.g., stains and sealants) to reduce a child’s potential exposure to arsenic from the wood surface. Data from CPSC staff and EPA studies suggest that regular (at least once a year) use of an oil- or water-based, penetrating sealant or stain can reduce arsenic migration from CCA-treated wood. Installers, builders, and consumers who perform woodworking operations, such as sanding, sawing, or sawdust disposal, on pressure-treated wood should read the consumer information sheet available at the point of sale. This sheet contains important health precautions and disposal information. When selecting wood products and finishes for public playgrounds, CPSC staff recommends: • Avoid “film-forming” or non-penetrating stains (latex semi-transparent, latex opaque and oil-based opaque stains) on outdoor surfaces because peeling and flaking may occur later, which will ultimately have an impact on durability as well as exposure to the preservatives in the wood. • Creosote, pentachlorophenol, and tributyl tin oxide are too toxic or irritating and should not be used as preservatives for playground equipment wood. • Pesticide-containing finishes should not be used. • CCA-treated wood should not be used as playground mulch.
• Strictly follow all instructions from the manufacturer when assembling and installing equipment. • After assembly and before its first use, equipment should be thoroughly inspected by a person qualified to inspect playgrounds for safety. • The manufacturer’s assembly and installation instructions, and all other materials collected concerning the equipment, should be kept in a permanent file. • Secure anchoring is a key factor to stable installation, and the anchoring process should be completed in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.
Title 16, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1303; Ban of Lead-Containing Paint and Certain Consumer Products Bearing Lead-Containing Paint; Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office: Washington, DC. CPSC Staff Recommendations for Identifying and Controlling Lead Paint on Public Playground Equipment; U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Washington, DC, October 1996.
• Swings and slides have additional recommendations for projections detailed in §5.3. • See Appendix B for testing recommendations. 3.2.1 Strings and ropes Drawstrings on the hoods of jackets, sweatshirts, and other upper body clothing can become entangled in playground equipment, and can cause death by strangulation. To avoid this risk: • Children should not wear jewelry, jackets or sweatshirts with drawstring hoods, mittens connected by strings through the arms, or other upper body clothing with drawstrings. • Remove any ropes, dog leashes, or similar objects that have been attached to playground equipment. Children can become entangled in them and strangle to death.
Anything that could crush or shear limbs should not be accessible to children on a playground. Crush and shear points can be caused by parts moving relative to each other or to a fixed part during a normal use cycle, such as a seesaw. To determine if there is a possible crush or shear point, consider: • The likelihood a child could get a body part inside the point, and • The closing force around the point. Potential crush/shear hazards specific to certain pieces of equipment are identified in §5.3 Major Types of Playground Equipment.
Projections on playground equipment should not be able to entangle children’s clothing nor should they be large enough to impale. To avoid this risk: • The diameter of a projection should not increase in the direction away from the surrounding surface toward the exposed end (see Figure 2). • Bolts should not expose more than two threads beyond the end of the nut (see Figure 3). • All hooks, such as S-hooks and C-hooks, should be closed (see also §5.3.8.1). A hook is considered closed if there is no gap or space greater than 0.04 inches, about the thickness of a dime. – Any connecting device containing an in-fill that completely fills the interior space preventing entry of clothing items into the interior of the device is exempt from this requirement.
Figure 2. Example of a hazardous protrusion that increases in diameter from plane of initial surface and forms an entanglement hazard and may also be an impalement hazard.
Figure 3. Example of a hazardous protrusion that extends more than 2 threads beyond the nut and forms an impalement/laceration hazard and may also be an entanglement hazard.
• Avoid equipment with ropes that are not secured at both ends. • The following label can be placed near/on slides or other equipment where potential entanglements may occur.
Children have died when drawstrings on their clothing caught on slides or other playground equipment. Remove hood and neck drawstrings from children’s clothing before children play on a playground. Remove scarves and mittens connected through the sleeves.
orientation, then are unable to get themselves out. Head entrapment by feet first entry involves children who generally sit or lie down and slide their feet into an opening that is large enough to permit their bodies to go through but is not large enough to permit their heads to go through. A part or a group of parts should not form openings that could trap a child’s head. Also, children should not wear their bicycle helmets while on playground equipment. There have been recent head entrapment incidents in which children wearing their bicycle helmets became entrapped in spaces that would not normally be considered a head entrapment. Certain openings could present an entrapment hazard if the distance between any interior opposing surfaces is greater than 3.5 inches and less than 9 inches. These spaces should be tested as recommended in Appendix B. When one dimension of an opening is within this range, all dimensions of the opening should be considered together to evaluate the possibility of entrapment. Even openings that are low enough for children’s feet to touch the ground can present a risk of strangulation for an entrapped child. (See Figure 4). Younger children may not have the necessary intellectual ability or motor skills to reverse the process that caused their heads to become trapped, especially if they become scared or panicked.
3.3.1 Head entrapment Head entrapment is a serious concern on playgrounds, since it could lead to strangulation and death. A child’s head may become entrapped if the child enters an opening either feet first or head first. Head entrapment by head-first entry generally occurs when children place their heads through an opening in one orientation, turn their heads to a different
• If steel-belted radials are used as playground equipment, they should be closely examined regularly to ensure that there are no exposed steel belts/wires. • Conduct frequent inspections to help prevent injuries caused by splintered wood, sharp points, corners, or edges that may develop as a result of wear and tear on the equipment.
Children using a playground may be injured if they run into suspended components (such as cables, wires, ropes, or other flexible parts) hanging from one piece of the playground equipment to another or to the ground. Cables, wires, ropes, or similar flexible parts suspended between play units or from the ground to a play unit that are within 45 degrees of horizontal are considered suspended hazards. Recommendations for avoiding these hazards are:
• Suspended components should not be located in high traffic areas. • Suspended components should either be brightly colored or contrast with surrounding equipment for added visibility. • Except for swings, any rope, cable, or chain longer than 7 inches should be fastened at both ends and should not be able to be looped back on itself to create a circle with a 5 inch or greater perimeter. These recommendations do not apply if the suspended component is more than 7 feet above the protective surfacing and is a minimum of one inch at its widest cross-section dimension.
3.3.2 Angles Children can become entrapped by angles formed between two sides of playground parts. • Angles should be greater than 55 degrees, unless one side is horizontal or below horizontal. • See Figure 5. • See Appendix B for testing recommendations.
Sharp points, corners, or edges on any part of the playground or playground equipment may cut or puncture a child’s skin. Sharp edges can cause serious lacerations if protective measures are not taken. To avoid the risk of injury from sharp points, corners and edges: • Exposed open ends of all tubing not resting on the ground or otherwise covered should be covered by caps or plugs that cannot be removed without the use of tools. • Wood parts should be smooth and free from splinters. • All corners, metal and wood, should be rounded. • All metal edges should be rolled or have rounded capping. • There should be no sharp edges on slides. Pay special attention to metal edges of slides along the sides and at the exit (see also §5.3.6.4).
Play areas should be free of tripping hazards (i.e., sudden change in elevations) to children who are using a playground. The two most common trip hazards are anchoring devices for playground equipment and containment walls for loose-fill surfacing materials. • All anchoring devices for playground equipment, such as concrete footings or horizontal bars at the bottom of flexible climbers, should be installed below ground level and beneath the base of the protective surfacing material. This will also prevent children from sustaining additional injuries from impact if they fall on exposed footings. • Contrasting the color of the surfacing with the equipment color can contribute to better visibility.
• Surfacing containment walls should be highly visible. • Any change of elevation should be obvious. • Contrasting the color of the containment barrier with the surfacing color can contribute to better visibility.
Used automobile and truck tires are often recycled as playground equipment, such as tire swings or flexible climbers, or as a safety product such as cushioning under a seesaw or shredded as protective surfacing. When recycling tires for playground use:
4. MAINTAINING A PLAYGROUND
Table 3. Routine inspection and maintenance issues
Broken equipment such as loose bolts, missing end caps, cracks, etc. Broken glass & other trash Cracks in plastics Loose anchoring Hazardous or dangerous debris Insect damage Problems with surfacing
Displaced loose-fill surfacing (see Section 4.3) Holes, flakes, and/or buckling of unitary surfacing User modifications (such as ropes tied to parts or equipment rearranged) Vandalism Worn, loose, damaged, or missing parts Wood splitting Rusted or corroded metals Rot
Inspections alone do not constitute a comprehensive maintenance program. Any problems found during the inspection should be noted and fixed as soon as possible. • All repairs and replacements of equipment parts should be completed following the manufacturer’s instructions. • User modifications, such as loose-ended ropes tied to elevated parts, should be removed immediately. • For each piece of equipment, the frequency of thorough inspections will depend on the type and age of equipment, the amount of use, and the local climate.
Loose-fill surfacing materials require special maintenance. High-use public playgrounds, such as child care centers and schools, should be checked frequently to ensure surfacing has not displaced significantly, particularly in areas of the playground most subject to displacement (e.g., under swings and slide exits). This can be facilitated by marking ideal surfacing depths on equipment posts. Displaced loose-fill surfacing should be raked back into proper place so that a constant depth is maintained throughout the playground. Impact attenuating mats placed in high traffic areas, such as under swings and at slide exits, can significantly reduce
displacement. They should be installed below or level with surfacing so as not to be a tripping hazard. The following are key points to look for during regular checks of surfacing: • Areas under swings and at slide exits. Activity in these areas tends to displace surfacing quickly. Rake loose-fill back into place. • Pooling water on mulch surfacing. For example, wet mulch compacts faster than dry, fluffy mulch. If puddles are noticed regularly, consider addressing larger drainage issues. • Frozen surfacing. Most loose-fill surfacing that freezes solid no longer functions as protective surfacing. Even if
the first few inches may be loose, the base layer may be frozen and the impact attenuation of the surfacing may be significantly reduced. It is recommended that children not play on the equipment under these conditions.
5. PARTS OF THE PLAYGROUND
5.1 Platforms, Guardrails and Protective Barriers
5.1.1 Platforms • Platforms should be generally flat (i.e., within ± 2° of horizontal). • Openings in platforms should be provided to allow for drainage. • Platforms should minimize the collection of debris. • Platforms intended for toddlers should be no more than 32 inches from the ground. 5.1.2 Stepped platforms On some composite structures, platforms are layered or tiered so that a child may access the higher platform without steps or ladders. Unless there is an alternate means of access/egress, the maximum difference in height between stepped platforms should be: • Toddlers: 7 inches. • Preschool-age: 12 inches. • School-age: 18 inches. An access component (such as a rung) is needed if the difference in height is more than 12 inches for preschool-age and 18 inches for school-age children. The space between the stepped platforms should follow the recommendations to minimize entrapment hazards in enclosed openings: • Toddlers: if the space is less than 7 inches, infill should be used to reduce the space to less than 3.0 inches. • Preschool-age: if the space exceeds 9 inches and the height of the lower platform above the protective surfacing exceeds 30 inches, infill should be used to reduce the space to less than 3.5 inches. • School-age: if the space exceeds 9 inches and the height of the lower platform above the protective surfacing exceeds 48 inches, infill should be used to reduce the space to less than 3.5 inches.
5.1.2.1 Fall height • The fall height of a platform is the distance between the top of the platform and the protective surfacing beneath it. 5.1.3 Guardrails and protective barriers Guardrails and protective barriers are used to minimize the likelihood of accidental falls from elevated platforms. Protective barriers provide greater protection than guardrails and should be designed to discourage children from climbing over or through the barrier. Guardrails and barriers should: • Completely surround any elevated platforms (except for a maximum clearance opening of 15 inches needed to access the play equipment). • Prevent unintentional falls from the platform. • Prevent the possibility of entrapment. • Facilitate supervision. For example: • Guardrails may have a horizontal top rail with infill consisting of vertical bars having openings that are greater than 9 inches. These openings do not present an entrapment hazard but do not prevent a child from climbing through the openings. • A barrier should minimize the likelihood of passage of a child during deliberate attempts to defeat the barrier. Any openings between uprights or between the platform surface and lower edge of a protective barrier should prevent passage of the small torso template (see test in B.2.5). Guardrails or protective barriers should be provided on elevated platforms, walkways, landings, and transitional surfaces. In general, the younger the child, the less coordination and balance they have, therefore the more vulnerable they are to unintentional falls. Toddlers are the most vulnerable, and equipment intended for this age should use barriers on all elevated walking surfaces above 18 inches. Physical skills develop further in preschool-age children and then more with school-age children; therefore, minimum elevation recommendations for guardrails and barriers increase with each age group.
Protects against accidental falls from platform Discourages climbing over Protects against climbing through Yes No No
A Top edge distance from platform B Bottom edge distance from platform H Recommended when platform fall height is: Not recommended Not recommended Not recommended A = 24” or higher B < 3” H = 18” or higher
A Top edge distance from platform B Bottom edge distance from platform H Recommended when platform fall height is: A = 29” or higher 9” < B ≤ 23” 20” < H ≤ 30” A = 29” or higher B < 3.5” H > 30”
A Top edge distance from platform B Bottom edge distance from platform H Recommended when platform fall height is: A = 38” or higher 9” < B ≤ 28” 30” < H ≤ 48” A = 38” or higher B < 3.5” H > 48”
Chain Net Climber Arch Climber Tire Climber
Access to playground equipment can take many forms, such as conventional ramps, stairways with steps, and ladders with steps or rungs. Access may also be by means of climbing components, such as arch climbers, climbing nets, and tire climbers (see Figure 6). As children develop, they gain better balance and coordination, so it is important to pick appropriate access methods based on the age group. Table 5 shows the most common methods of access and the youngest appropriate age group. Access to platforms over 6 feet high (except for free-standing slides) should provide an intermediate standing surface so that the child can pause and make a decision to keep going up or find another way down. Children generally master access before egress, that is, they can go up before they can get back down a difficult component. Therefore, if there are more difficult access methods, it is important to have easier components for egress.
Table 5. Methods of access and egress
Ramps Straight stairways Spiral stairways Step ladders Rung ladders Arch climbers Flexible climbers (nets, tires)
Easiest Easy Moderate Moderate Moderate Difficult Difficult
Toddlers + Toddlers + Toddlers* + 15 months* + Preschool* + Preschool* + Preschool* +
AGE OF INTENDED USER Type of Access Toddler Preschool-age School-age
Slope (vertical:horizontal) Width (single) Width (double) < 1:8 ≥ 19” ≥ 30” ≤ 35º 12-21” ≥ 30” Not appropriate ≥ 8” ≥ 7” 35≤65º 12-21” Not appropriate Not appropriate 8” > 5 ≤ 7” Not Not Not Not appropriate appropriate appropriate appropriate ≤ 1:8 ≥ 12” ≥ 30” < 50º ≥ 12” ≥ 30” ≥ 7” ≥ 7” ≥ 9” 50-75º 12-21” Not appropriate ≥ 7” ≥ 7” ≤ 9” 75-90º ≥ 12” ≤ 12” 0.95-1.55” ≤ 1:8 ≥ 16” ≥ 36” < 50º ≥ 16” ≥ 36” ≥ 8” ≥ 8” ≤ 12” 50-75º ≥ 16” ≥ 36” ≥ 3” ≥ 6” ≤ 12” 75-90º ≥ 16” ≤ 12” 0.95-1.55”
Slope Tread width (single) Tread width (double) Tread depth (open riser Tread depth (closed riser) Vertical rise
Slope Rung width Vertical rise Rung diameter
5.2.2 Rungs and other hand gripping components Unlike steps of stairways and step ladders that are primarily for foot support, rungs can be used for both foot and hand support. • Rungs with round shapes are easiest for children to grip. • All hand grips should be secured in a manner that prevents them from turning. • Toddlers: – Handrails or other means of hand support should have a diameter between 0.60 and 1.20 inches. – A diameter of 0.90 inches is preferred to achieve maximal grip strength and benefit the weakest children. • Preschool- and school-age: – Rungs, handrails, climbing bars, or other means of hand support intended for holding should have a diameter between 0.95 and 1.55 inches. – A diameter of 1.25 inches is preferred to achieve maximal grip strength and benefit the weakest children. 5.2.3 Handrails Handrails on stairways and step ladders are intended to provide hand support and to steady the user. Continuous handrails extending over the full length of the access should be provided on both sides of all stairways and step ladders, regardless of the height of the access. Rung ladders do not require handrails since rungs or side supports provide hand support on these more steeply inclined accesses. 5.2.3.1 Handrail height Handrails should be available for use at the appropriate height, beginning with the first step. The vertical distance between the top front edge of a step or ramp surface and the top surface of the handrail above it should be as follows: • Toddlers: between 15 and 20 inches. • Preschool-age: between 22 and 26 inches. • School-age: between 22 and 38 inches. 5.2.4 Transition from access to platform Handrails or handholds are recommended at all transition points (the point where the child must move from the access component to the play structure platform).
• The handhold should provide support from the access component until the child has fully achieved the desired posture on the platform. • Any opening between a handrail and an adjacent vertical structure (e.g., vertical support post for a platform or vertical slat of a protective barrier) should not pose an entrapment hazard. • Access methods that do not have handrails, such as rung ladders, flexible climbers, arch climbers, and tire climbers, should provide hand supports for the transition between the top of the access and the platform.
5.3 Major Types of Playground Equipment
5.3.1 Balance beams • Balance beams should be no higher than: • Toddlers: not recommended. • Preschool-age: 12 inches. • School-age: 16 inches. 5.3.1.1 Fall height The fall height of a balance beam is the distance between the top of the walking surface and the protective surfacing beneath it. 5.3.2 Climbing and upper body equipment Climbing equipment is generally designed to present a greater degree of physical challenge than other equipment on public playgrounds. This type of equipment requires the use of the hands to navigate up or across the equipment. “Climbers” refers to a wide variety of equipment, such as but not limited to: • Arch climbers • Dome climbers • Flexible climbers (usually chain or net) • Parallel bars • Sliding poles • Spiral climbers • Upper body equipment (horizontal overhead ladders, overhead rings, track ride).
School-age children tend to use climbing and upper body equipment more frequently and more proficiently than preschool children. Young preschool children may have difficulty using some climbers because they have not yet developed some of the physical skills necessary for certain climbing activities (balance, coordination, and upper body strength). Older preschool children (i.e., 4- and 5-year-olds) are beginning to use flexible climbers, arch climbers, and upper body devices. However, playgrounds designed for children under 4 years of age should avoid arch climbers, flexible climbers, horizontal ladders, parallel bars, and other upper body components. 5.3.2.1 Design considerations 5.3.2.1.1 Layout of climbing components When climbing components are part of a composite structure, their level of challenge and method of use should be compatible with the traffic flow from nearby components. Upper body devices should be placed so that the swinging movement generated by children on this equipment cannot interfere with the movement of children on adjacent structures, particularly children descending on slides. The design of adjacent play structures should not facilitate climbing to the top support bars of upper body equipment. 5.3.2.1.2 Fall Height Climbers: • The fall height for climbers is the distance between the highest part of the climbing component and the protective surfacing beneath it. • If the climber is part of a composite structure, the fall height is the distance between the highest part of the climber intended for foot support and the protective surfacing beneath it. – Toddlers: The maximum fall height for free standing and composite climbing structures should be 32 inches. Upper Body Equipment: • The fall height of upper body equipment is the distance between the highest part of the equipment and the protective surface below. 5.3.2.1.3 Climbing rungs
Overhead Hanging Rings Figure 7. Examples of climbers
Some of the access methods discussed in §5.2 are also considered climbing devices; therefore, the recommendations for the size of climbing rungs are similar.
Figure 8. Use zone surrounding an arch climber
• Rungs should be generally round. • All rungs should be secured in a manner that prevents them from turning. • Climbing rungs should follow the same diameter recommendations as in §5.2.2. 5.3.2.1.4 Use zone • The use zone should extend a minimum of 6 feet in all directions from the perimeter of the stand alone climber. See Figure 8. • The use zone of a climber may overlap with neighboring equipment if the other piece of equipment allows overlapping use zones and – There is at least 6 feet between equipment when adjacent designated play surfaces are no more than 30 inches high; or – There is at least 9 feet between equipment when adjacent designated play surfaces are more than 30 inches high. 5.3.2.1.5 Other considerations • Climbers should not have climbing bars or other rigid structural components in the interior of the climber onto
which a child may fall from a height of greater than 18 inches. See Figure 9.
Figure 9: Climber with rigid structural component
5.3.2.3 Flexible climbers Flexible climbers use a grid of ropes, chains, cables, or tires for climbing. Since the flexible parts do not provide a steady means of support, flexible climbers require more advanced balance abilities than rigid climbers. Rope, chain, and cable generally form a net-like structure that may be either two or three dimensional. See Figure 12. Tire climbers may have the tires secured tread-to-tread to form a sloping grid, or the tires may be suspended individually by chains or other means. • Flexible climbers that provide access to platforms should be securely anchored at both ends. • When connected to the ground, the anchoring devices should be installed below ground level and beneath the base of the protective surfacing material. • Connections between ropes, cables, chains, or between tires should be securely fixed. • Flexible climbers are not recommended as the sole means of access to equipment intended for toddlers and preschool-age children. • Free-standing flexible climbers are not recommended on playgrounds intended for toddlers and preschool children. • Spacing between the horizontal and vertical components of a climbing grid should not form entrapment hazards. • The perimeter of any opening in a net structure should be less than 17 inches or greater than 28 inches (see Figure 13).
17 – 28 inches
5.3.2.4 Horizontal (overhead) ladders Horizontal (overhead) ladders are a type of climber designed to build upper body strength. They are designed to allow children to move across the ladder from end to end using only their hands. Four-year-olds are generally the youngest children able to use upper body devices like these; therefore, horizontal ladders should not be used on playgrounds intended for toddlers and 3-year-olds. The recommendations below are designed to accommodate children ages 4 through 12 years. • The first handhold on either end of upper body equipment should not be placed directly above the platform or climbing rung used for mount or dismount. This minimizes the risk of children impacting rigid access structures if they fall from the first handhold during mount or dismount. • The horizontal distance from the platform out to the first handhold should be at least 8 inches but no greater than 10 inches. • The space between adjacent rungs of overhead ladders should be greater than 9 inches to prevent entrapment.
• Horizontal ladders intended for preschool-age children should have rungs that are parallel to one another and evenly spaced. • The maximum height of a horizontal ladder (i.e., measured from the center of the grasping device to the top of the protective surfacing below) should be: – Preschool-age (4 and 5 years): no more than 60 inches. – School-age: no more than 84 inches. • The center-to-center spacing of horizontal ladder rungs should be as follows: – Preschool-age (4 and 5 years): no more than 12 inches. – School-age: no more than 15 inches. • The maximum height of the take-off/landing platform above the protective surfacing should be: – Preschool-age (4 and 5 years): no more than 18 inches. – School-age: no more than 36 inches.
5.3.2.5 Overhead rings Overhead rings are similar to horizontal ladders in terms of the complexity of use. Therefore, overhead rings should not be used on playgrounds intended for toddlers and 3-yearolds. The recommendations below are designed to accommodate children 4 through 12 years of age. Overhead rings differ from horizontal ladders because, during use, the gripped ring swings through an arc and reduces the distance to the gripping surface of the next ring; therefore, the spacing distance recommendations for horizontal ladders do not apply. • The first handhold on either end of upper body equipment should not be placed directly above the platform or climbing rung used for mount or dismount. This minimizes the risk of children hitting rigid access structures if they fall from the first handhold during mount or dismount. • The horizontal distance to the first handhold should be at least 8 inches but no greater than 10 inches. • The maximum height of overhead rings measured from the center of the grasping device to the protective surfacing should be: – Preschool-age (4 and 5 years): 60 inches. – School-age: 84 inches. • If overhead swinging rings are suspended by chains, the maximum length of the chains should be 7 inches. • The maximum height of the take-off/landing platform above the protective surfacing should be: – Preschool-age (4 and 5 years): no more than 18 inches. – School-age: no more than 36 inches. 5.3.2.6 Sliding poles Vertical sliding poles are more challenging than some other types of climbing equipment. They require upper body strength and coordination to successfully slide down the pole. Unlike other egress methods, there is no reverse or stop, so a child cannot change his or her mind. Children who start a sliding pole must have the strength to slide the whole way or they will fall. • Sliding poles are not recommended for toddlers or preschool-age children since they generally don't have the upper body and/or hand strength to slide. • Sliding poles should be continuous with no protruding welds or seams along the sliding surface.
• The pole should not change direction along the sliding portion. • The horizontal distance between a sliding pole and any structure used for access to the sliding pole should be between 18 inches and 20 inches. • The pole should extend at least 60 inches above the level of the platform or structure used for access to the sliding pole. • The diameter of sliding poles should be no greater than 1.9 inches. • Sliding poles and their access structures should be located so that traffic from other events will not interfere with the users during descent. • Upper access should be on one level only. • The upper access area through the guardrail or barrier should be 15 inches wide at most. 5.3.2.6.1 Fall height • For sliding poles accessed from platforms, the fall height is the distance between the platform and the protective surfacing beneath it. • For sliding poles not accessed from platforms, the fall height is the distance between a point 60 inches below the highest point of the pole and the protective surfacing beneath it. • The top of the sliding pole’s support structure should not be a designated play surface. 5.3.2.7 Track rides Track rides are a form of upper body equipment where the child holds on to a handle or other device that slides along a track above his or her head. The child then lifts his or her feet and is carried along the length of the track. Track rides require significant upper body strength and the judgment to know when it is safe to let go. These are skills not developed until children are at least school-age; therefore, CPSC staff recommends: • Track rides should not be used on playgrounds for toddlers and preschool-age children. • Track rides should not have any obstacles along the path of the ride, including anything that would interfere in the take-off or landing areas. • Two track rides next to each other should be at least 4 feet apart.
• The handle should be between 64 inches and 78 inches from the surfacing and follow the gripping recommendations in §5.2.2. • Nothing should ever be tied or attached to any part of a track ride. • Rolling parts should be enclosed to prevent crush hazards. 5.3.2.7.1 Fall height • The fall height of track ride equipment is the distance between the maximum height of the equipment and the protective surface beneath it. • Equipment support posts with no designated play surfaces are exempt from this requirement. 5.3.3 Log rolls Log rolls help older children master balance skills and increase strength. Children must balance on top of the log as they spin it with their feet. See Figure 14. • Log rolls are not recommended for toddlers and preschool-age children. These children generally do not possess the balance, coordination, and strength to use a log roll safely. • Log rolls should have handholds to assist with balance. • The handholds should follow the guidelines in §5.2.2. • The highest point of the rolling log should be a maximum of 18 inches above the protective surface below. • The use zone may overlap with neighboring equipment if the other piece of equipment allows overlapping use zones and – There is at least 6 feet between equipment when adjacent designated play surfaces are no more than 30 inches high; or – There is at least 9 feet between equipment when adjacent designated play surfaces are more than 30 inches high. 5.3.3.1.1 Fall height The fall height of a log roll is the distance between the highest portion of the rolling log and the protective surfacing beneath it.
5.3.4 Merry-go-rounds Merry-go-rounds are the most common rotating equipment found on public playgrounds. Children usually sit or stand on the platform while other children or adults push the merrygo-round to make it rotate. In addition, children often get on and off the merry-go-round while it is in motion. Merrygo-rounds may present a physical hazard to preschool-age children who have little or no control over such products once they are in motion. Therefore, children in this age group should always be supervised when using merry-gorounds. The following recommendations apply when the merry-goround is at least 20 inches in diameter. • Merry-go-rounds should not be used on playgrounds intended for toddlers. • The standing/sitting surface of the platform should have a maximum height of: – Preschool: 14 inches above the protective surface. – School-age: 18 inches above the protective surface. • The rotating platform should be continuous and approximately circular.
• The surface of the platform should not have any openings between the axis and the periphery that permit a rod having a diameter of 5/16 inch to penetrate completely through the surface. • The difference between the minimum and maximum radii of a non-circular platform should not exceed 2.0 inches (Figure 15).
• This use zone should never overlap the use zone of any other equipment. 5.3.4.2 Fall height The fall height for a merry-go-round is the distance between the perimeter of the platform where a child could sit or stand and the protective surfacing beneath it. 5.3.5 Seesaws 5.3.5.1 Fulcrum seesaws
A = Axis of Rotation AB = Minimum Radius AC = Maximum Radius B The difference between dimensions AC and AB should not exceed 2.0 inches.
Automobile Tire Figure 15. Minimum and maximum radii of a merry-go-round platform
• The underside of the perimeter of the platform should be no less than 9 inches above the level of the protective surfacing beneath it. • There should not be any accessible shearing or crushing mechanisms in the undercarriage of the equipment. • Children should be provided with a secure means of holding on. Where handgrips are provided, they should conform to the general recommendations for hand gripping components in §5.2.2. • No components of the apparatus, including handgrips, should extend beyond the perimeter of the platform. • The rotating platform of a merry-go-round should not have any sharp edges. • A means should be provided to limit the peripheral speed of rotation to a maximum of 13 ft/sec. • Merry-go-round platforms should not have any up and down (oscillatory) motion. 5.3.4.1 Use zone • The use zone should extend a minimum of 6 feet beyond the perimeter of the platform.
5.3.5.3 Use zone for fulcrum and spring-centered seesaws • The use zone should extend a minimum of 6 feet from each outside edge of the seesaw. • The use zone may overlap with neighboring equipment if the other piece of equipment allows overlapping use zones and – There is at least 6 feet between equipment when adjacent designated play surfaces are no more than 30 inches high; or – There is at least 9 feet between equipment when adjacent designated play surfaces are more than 30 inches high. 5.3.5.4 Handholds • Handholds should be provided at each seating position for gripping with both hands and should not turn when grasped. • Handholds should not protrude beyond the sides of the seat. 5.3.5.5 Fall height The fall height for a seesaw is the distance between the highest point any part of the seesaw can reach and the protective surfacing beneath it.
5.3.6 Slides Children can be expected to descend slide chutes in many different positions, rather than always sitting and facing forward as they slide. These other positions should be discouraged at all times to minimize injuries. Slides may provide a straight, wavy, or spiral descent either by means of a tube or an open slide chute. They may be either free-standing (Figure 17), part of a composite structure, or built on the grade of a natural or man-made slope (embankment slide). Regardless of the type of slide, avoid using bare metals on the platforms, chutes, and steps. When exposed to direct sunlight the bare metal may reach temperatures high enough to cause serious contact burn injuries in a matter of seconds. Provide shade for bare metal slides or use other materials that may reduce the surface temperature such as, but not limited to, plastic or coated metal. 5.3.6.1 Slide access Access to a stand-alone slide generally is by means of a ladder with rungs, steps, or a stairway with steps. Slides may also be part of a composite play structure, so children will gain access from other parts of the structure. Embankment slides use the ground for access.
5.3.6.2 Slide platform All slides should be provided with a platform with sufficient length to facilitate the transition from standing to sitting at the top of the inclined sliding surface. Embankment slides are exempt from platform requirements because they are on ground level; however, they should not have any spaces or gaps as noted below. The platform should: • Be at least 19 inches deep for toddlers. • Be at least 14 inches deep for preschool-age and school-age children. • Be horizontal. • Be at least as wide as the slide chute. • Be surrounded by guardrails or barriers. • Conform to the same recommendations as general platforms given in §5.1.1. • Not have any spaces or gaps that could trap strings, clothing, body parts, etc. between the platform and the start of the slide chute. • Provide handholds to facilitate the transition from standing to sitting and decrease the risk of falls (except tube slides where the tube perimeter provides hand support). These should extend high enough to provide hand support for the largest child in a standing position, and low enough to provide hand support for the smallest child in a sitting position. • Provide a means to channel a user into a sitting position at the entrance to the chute, such as a guardrail, hood, or other device that discourages climbing. 5.3.6.3 Slide chutes 5.3.6.3.1 Embankment slides • The slide chute of an embankment slide should have a maximum height of 12 inches above the underlying ground surface. This design basically eliminates the hazard of falls from elevated heights. • Embankment slides should follow all of the recommendations given for straight slides where applicable (e.g., side height, slope, use zone at exit, etc.). • There should be some means provided at the slide chute entrance to minimize the use of embankment slides by children on skates, skateboards, or bicycles.
5.3.6.3.2 Roller slides • Roller slides should meet applicable recommendations for other slides (e.g., side height, slope, use zone at exit, etc.). • The space between adjacent rollers and between the ends of the rollers and the stationary structure should be less than 3/16 inch. • Frequent inspections are recommended to insure that there are no missing rollers or broken bearings and that the rollers roll. 5.3.6.3.3 Spiral slides • Spiral slides should follow the recommendations for straight slides where applicable (e.g., side height, slope, use zone at exit, etc.). • Special attention should be given to design features which may present problems unique to spiral slides, such as lateral discharge of the user. • Toddlers and preschool-age children have less ability to maintain balance and postural control, so only short spiral slides (one 360° turn or less) are recommended for these age groups. 5.3.6.3.4 Straight slides • Flat open chutes should have sides at least 4 inches high extending along both sides of the chute for the entire length of the inclined sliding surface. • The sides should be an integral part of the chute, without any gaps between the sides and the sliding surface. (This does not apply to roller slides). • Slides may have an open chute with a circular, semicircular or curved cross section provided that: A. The vertical height of the sides is no less than 4 inches when measured at right angles to a horizontal line that is 8 inches long when the slide is intended for toddlers, 12 inches long when the slide is intended for preschool-age children, and 16 inches long when the slide is intended for school-age children (Figure 18); or B. For any age group, the vertical height of the sides is no less than 4 inches minus two times the width of the slide chute divided by the radius of the slide chute curvature (Figure 19).
• For toddlers: – The average incline of a slide chute should be no more than 24° (that is, the height to horizontal length ratio shown in Figure 20 does not exceed 0.445). – No section of the slide chute should have a slope greater than 30°. – The slide chute should be between 8 and 12 inches wide. • For preschool- and school-age children: – The average incline of a slide chute should be no more than 30° (that is, the height to horizontal length ratio shown in Figure 20 does not exceed 0.577). – No section of the slide chute should have a slope greater than 50°. 5.3.6.3.5 Tube slides • Tube slides should meet all the applicable recommendations for other slides (e.g., side height, slope, use zone at exit, etc.). • Means, such as barriers or textured surfaces, should be provided to prevent sliding or climbing on the top (outside) of the tube. • The minimum internal diameter of the tube should be no less than 23 inches. • Tube slides should have transparent tube sections for observation and supervision; otherwise, children using tube slides may not be visible to a supervisor.
5.3.6.4 Chute exit region All slides should have an exit region to help children maintain their balance and facilitate a smooth transition from sitting to standing when exiting. The chute exit region should: • Be between 0 and -4° as measured from a plane parallel to the ground. • Have edges that are rounded or curved to prevent lacerations or other injuries that could result from impact with a sharp or straight edge. • For toddlers the chute exit region should: – Be between 7 and 10 inches long if any portion of the chute exceeds a 24° slope. – Be no more than 6 inches above the protective surfacing. – Have a transition from the sliding portion to the exit region with a radius of curvature of at least 18 inches. • For preschool- and school-age the chute exit region should: – Be at least 11 inches long. – Be no more than 11 inches above the protective surfacing if the slide is no greater than 4 feet high. – Be at least 7 inches but not more than 15 inches above the protective surfacing if the slide is over 4 feet high.
5.3.6.5 Slide use zone Toddlers: • In a limited access environment – The use zone should be at least 3 feet around the perimeter of the slide. – The area at the end of the slide should not overlap with the use zone for any other equipment. • In public areas with unlimited access – For a stand-alone slide, the use zone should be at least 6 feet around the perimeter. – For slides that are part of a composite structure, the minimum use zone between the access components and the side of the slide chute should be 3 feet. – The use zone at the end of the slide should be at least 6 feet from the end of the slide and not overlap with the use zone for any other equipment. Preschool- and school-age (see Figure 21): • The use zone in front of the access and to the sides of a slide should extend a minimum of 6 feet from the perimeter of the equipment. This recommendation does not apply to embankment slides. • The use zone in front of the exit of a slide should never overlap the use zone of any other equipment; however, two or more slides may overlap if their sliding paths are parallel. • For slides less than or equal to 6 feet high, the use zone in front of the exit should be at least 6 feet. • For slides greater than 6 feet high, the use zone in front of the exit should be at least as long as the slide is high up to a maximum of 8 feet. 5.3.6.6 Fall height The fall height for slides is the distance between the transition platform and the protective surfacing beneath it. 5.3.6.7 Entanglement hazard Children have suffered serious injuries and died by getting parts of their clothing tangled on protrusions or gaps on slides. To reduce the chance of clothing entanglement: • Projections up to 3 inches in diameter should not stick up more than 1/8 inch from the slide.
Slide Exit Zone H 6 ft. 6 ft. 6 ft. Denotes Use Zone with Protective Surfacing
Figure 21. Use Zone for Slides
• There should be no gaps at the tops of slides where the slide chute connects with the platform that can entangle clothing or strings. • See Appendix B for full recommendations and details of the protrusion test procedure. NOTE: The underside of a slide chute is not subject to the protrusion recommendation in this section but is subject to the general recommendations to avoid risks of entanglement and impalement in §3.2. 5.3.7 Spring rockers Toddlers and preschool-age children enjoy the bouncing and rocking activities presented by spring rockers, and they are the primary users of rocking equipment. See Figure 22. Older children may not find it challenging enough. • Seat design should not allow the rocker to be used by more than the intended number of users.
– There is at least 9 feet between equipment when adjacent designated play surfaces are more than 30 inches high; and – The spring rocker is designed to be used from a seated position. 5.3.7.1 Fall height The fall height of spring rockers is the distance between either (1) the highest designated playing surface or (2) the seat, whichever is higher, and the protective surfacing beneath it. 5.3.8 Swings Children of all ages generally enjoy the sensations created while swinging. Mostly they sit on the swings; however, it is common to see children jumping off swings. Younger children also tend to swing on their stomachs, and older children may stand on the seats. To prevent injuries, these behaviors should be discouraged. Swings may be divided into two distinct types: • Single axis: Sometimes called a to-fro swing. A single-axis swing is intended to swing back and forth in a single plane and generally consists of a seat supported by at least two suspending members, each of which is connected to a separate pivot on an overhead structure. • Multi-axis: A multi-axis swing consists of a seat (generally a tire) suspended from a single pivot that permits it to swing in any direction. 5.3.8.1 General swing recommendations • Hardware used to secure the suspending elements to the swing seat and to the supporting structure should not be removable without the use of tools. • S-hooks are often part of a swing’s suspension system, either attaching the suspending elements to the overhead support bar or to the swing seat. Open S-hooks can catch a child’s clothing and present a strangulation hazard. Shooks should be pinched closed. An S-hook is considered closed if there is no gap or space greater than 0.04 inches (about the thickness of a dime). • Swings should be suspended from support structures that discourage climbing. • A-frame support structures should not have horizontal cross-bars.
D1 60" D2 D3
Table 7. Clearance dimensions for swings
Minimizes collisions between a swing and the supporting structure Minimizes collisions between swings Allows access Reduces side-to-side motion
12 inches 20 inches
5.3.8.2 Fall height The fall height for swings is the vertical distance between the pivot point and the protective surfacing beneath it. 5.3.8.3 Single-axis swings 5.3.8.3.1 Belt seats used without adult assistance • The use zone to the front and rear of single-axis swings should never overlap the use zone of another piece of equipment. • To minimize the likelihood of children being struck by a moving swing, it is recommended that no more than two single-axis swings be hung in each bay of the supporting structure.
• The full bucket seat materials should not present a strangulation hazard, such as might be presented with a rope or chain used as part of the seat. • Openings in swing seats should conform to the entrapment criteria in §3.3. • Full bucket seat swings should be suspended from structures that are separate from those for other swings, or at least suspended from a separate bay of the same structure. • Full bucket seat swings should not allow the child to enter and exit alone. • Pivot points should be more than 47 inches but no more than 95 inches above the protective surfacing. 5.3.8.3.3 Use zone for single-axis swings – belt and full bucket The use zone in front of and behind the swing should be greater than to the sides of such a swing since children may deliberately attempt to exit from a single-axis swing while it is in motion. See Figure 25. • The use zone for a belt swing should extend to the front and rear of a single-axis swing a minimum distance of twice the vertical distance from the pivot point and the top of the protective surface beneath it. • The use zone for a full bucket swing should extend to the front and rear a minimum of twice the vertical distance from the top of the occupant’s sitting surface to the pivot point. • The use zone in front of and behind swings should never overlap with any other use zone. • The use zone to the sides of a single-axis swing should extend a minimum of 6 feet from the perimeter of the swing. This 6-foot zone may overlap that of an adjacent swing structure. 5.3.8.4 Multi-axis (tire) swings Tire swings are usually suspended in a horizontal orientation using three suspension chains or cables connected to a single swivel mechanism that permits both rotation and swinging motion in any axis. • A multi-axis tire swing should not be suspended from a structure having other swings in the same bay. • Attaching multi-axis swings to composite structures is not recommended.
• To minimize the hazard of impact, heavy truck tires should be avoided. Further, if steel-belted radials are used, they should be closely examined to ensure that there are no exposed steel belts or wires that could be a potential protrusion or laceration hazard. Plastic materials can be used as an alternative to simulate actual automobile tires. Drainage holes should be provided in the underside of the tire. • Pay special attention to maintenance of the hanger mechanism because the likelihood of failure is higher for tire swings due to the added stress of rotational movement and multiple occupants. • The hanger mechanisms for multi-axis tire swings should not have any accessible crush points. • The minimum clearance between the seating surface of a tire swing and the uprights of the supporting structure should be 30 inches when the tire is in a position closest to the support structure (Figure 26). • The minimum clearance between the bottom of the seat and the protective surface should not be less than 12 inches.
5.3.8.4.1 Multi-axis swing use zones • The use zone should extend in any direction from a point directly beneath the pivot point for a minimum distance of 6 feet plus the length of the suspending members (see Figure 27). This use zone should never overlap the use zone of any other equipment.
6 ft. 6 ft. Figure 25. Use Zone for Single-Axis Belt Swings Figure 27. Use Zone for Multi-Axis Swings
• The use zone should extend a minimum of 6 feet from the perimeter of the supporting structure. This 6-foot zone may overlap that of an adjacent swing structure or other playground equipment structure. 5.3.8.5 Protrusions on suspended members of swing assemblies Protrusions on swings are extremely hazardous because of the potential for impact incidents. Nothing, including bolts or other parts, on the front, back, or underside of a swing should stick out more than 1/8 of an inch. See test procedures in Appendix B. 5.3.9 Fall height and use zones not specified elsewhere Most playground equipment belongs in one of the categories listed above. If it does not, the following general recommendations should be applied:
• The fall height of a piece of playground equipment is the distance between the highest designated playing surface and the protective surface beneath it. • The use zone should extend a minimum of 6 feet in all directions from the perimeter of the equipment. • The use zones of two stationary pieces of playground equipment that are positioned adjacent to one another may overlap if the adjacent designated play surfaces of each structure are no more than 30 inches above the protective surface and the equipment is at least 6 feet apart. • If adjacent designated play surfaces on either structure exceed a height of 30 inches, the minimum distance between the structures should be 9 feet. • Use zones should be free of obstacles.
APPENDIX A: SUGGESTED GENERAL MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST
Adequate protective surfacing under and around the equipment. Install/replace surfacing Surfacing materials have not deteriorated. Replace surfacing Other maintenance: __________________________ Loose-fill surfacing materials have no foreign objects or debris. Remove trash and debris Loose-fill surfacing materials are not compacted. Rake and fluff surfacing Loose-fill surfacing materials have not been displaced under heavy use areas such as under swings or at slide exits. Rake and fluff surfacing
There are no loose fastening devices or worn connections. Replace fasteners Other maintenance: _________________________ Moving parts, such as swing hangers, merry-goround bearings, and track rides, are not worn. Replace part Other maintenance: _________________________
The entire play area has satisfactory drainage, especially in heavy use areas such as under swings and at slide exits. Improve drainage Other maintenance: __________________________
Paint (especially lead paint) is not peeling, cracking, chipping, or chalking. There are no areas of visible leaded paint chips or accumulation of lead dust. Mitigate lead paint hazards
There are no sharp points, corners or edges on the equipment (§3.4). There are no missing or damaged protective caps or plugs (§3.4). There are no hazardous protrusions (§3.2 and Appendix B). There are no potential clothing entanglement hazards, such as open S-hooks or protruding bolts (§2.5.2, §3.2, §5.3.8.1 and Appendix B). There are no crush and shearing points on exposed moving parts (§3.1). There are no trip hazards, such as exposed footings or anchoring devices and rocks, roots, or any other obstacles in a use zone (§3.6).
There are no user modifications to the equipment, such as strings and ropes tied to equipment, swings looped over top rails, etc. Remove string or rope Correct other modification The entire playground is free from debris or litter such as tree branches, soda cans, bottles, glass, etc. Clean playground There are no missing trash receptacles. Replace trash receptacle Trash receptacles are not full. Empty trash
NOTES: DATE OF INSPECTION: INSPECTION BY:
0.25 inch thick 1.0 inch exterior diameter 0.75 inch thick 2.0 inch exterior diameter 3.5 inch exterior diameter
R1.5 in. (R38 mm) R1.0 in. (R25 mm)
ia. n. d .0 i 9
6.2 in. 1.0 in. 1.0 in.
Radius = 1.5 in. Radius = 1.0 in. 3.0 in. 3.5 in.
n. 0i
B.2.1 Determining whether a projection is a protrusion B.2.1.1 Test procedure Step 1: Successively place each projection test gauge (see Figure B1) over any projection Step 2: Visually determine if the projection penetrates through the hole and beyond the face of the gauge (see Figure B9 below). Pass: A projection that does not extend beyond the face of the gauge passes. Fail: A projection that extends beyond the face of any one of the gauges is considered a hazardous protrusion and should be eliminated. B.2.2 Projections on suspended members of swing assemblies Given the potential for impact incidents, projections on swings can be extremely hazardous. A special test gauge (see Figure B2) and procedure are recommended. When tested, no bolts or components in the potential impact region on suspended members should extend through the hole beyond the face of the gauge. B.2.2.1 Test procedure Step 1: Hold the gauge (Figure B2) vertically with the axis through the hole parallel to the swing’s path of travel. Step 2: Place the gauge over any projections that are exposed during the swing’s path of travel. Step 3: Visually determine if the projection penetrates through the hole and beyond the face of the gauge. Pass: A projection that does not extend beyond the face of the gauge passes. Fail: A projection that extends beyond the face of the gauge is considered a hazardous protrusion and should be eliminated. B.2.3 Projections on slides To minimize the likelihood of clothing entanglement on slides, projections that (1) fit within any one of the three gauges shown in Figure B1 and (2) have a major axis that projects away from the slide bed should not have projections greater than 1/8 inch perpendicular to the plane of the surrounding surface (Figure B10). B.2.3.1 Test procedure Step 1: Identify all projections within the shaded area shown in Figure B11. Step 2: Determine which, if any, fit inside the projection test gauges (Figure B1). Step 3: Place the swing and slide projection gauge (Figure B2) next to the projection to check the height of the projection.
Figure B9. Determining whether a projection is a protrusion
HORIZONTAL PLANE Figure B10. Upward facing projection
SLIDING SURFACE PERPENDICULAR SURFACE 21" R
21" R SHADED AREA REPRESENTS NON-ENTANGLEMENT/PROTRUSION ZONES 42" STANDING HEIGHT
SIDEWALL 19" Toddlers/ 14" Preschool/School
EXIT SECTION Figure B11. Recommended areas to test for slide entanglement protrusions
B.2.4 Angles The angle of any vertex formed by adjacent components should be greater than 55º, unless the lower leg is horizontal or projects downwards (see Figure B12). An exception to this recommendation can be made if a rigid shield is attached to the vertex between adjacent components and the shield is of sufficient size to prevent a 9 inch diameter circular template from simultaneously touching components on either side of the vertex (see Figure B13). B.2.4.1 Test procedure Step 1: Identify angles formed by two adjacent components. Step 2: Determine if the angle is less than 55º. No: Pass. Stop. Yes: Continue. Step 3: Determine if the lower leg is horizontal or points downward. Yes: Pass. Stop. No: Continue. Step 4: Place the large head template (Figure B5) into the angle (Figure B13). Pass: The large head template is stopped before its perimeter can touch both sides of the angle simultaneously. Fail: The large head template touches both sides of the angle simultaneously.
Large Head Template (see Appendix B) Angle A is not subject to the greater than 55° recommendation if one leg of the vee is horizontal or slopes downward from the apex Figure B12. Recommendations for angles
Angle A should exceed 55°
Less Than 55°
Figure B13. Test for angles less than 55º (example passes).
B.2.5 Entrapment B.2.5.1 General Any completely-bounded opening (Figure B14) that is not bounded by the ground may be a potential head entrapment hazard. Even those openings which are low enough to permit a child’s feet to touch the ground present a risk of strangulation to an entrapped child, because younger children may not have the necessary intellectual ability and motor skills to withdraw their heads, especially if scared or panicked. An opening may present an entrapment hazard if the distance between any interior opposing surfaces is greater than 3.5 inches and less than 9 inches. If one dimension of an opening is within this potentially hazardous range, all dimensions of the opening should be considered together to fully evaluate the possibility of entrapment. The most appropriate method to determine whether an opening is hazardous is to test it using the following fixtures, methods, and performance criteria. These recommendations apply to all playground equipment, i.e., toddler, preschool-age, and school-age children. Fixed equipment as well as moving equipment (in its stationary position) should be tested for entrapment hazards. There are two special cases for which separate procedures are given: (1) completely-bounded openings where depth of penetration is a critical issue (see Figure B15) and (2) openings formed by flexible climbing components.
B.2.6 Test fixtures Two templates are required to determine if completely bounded openings in rigid structures present an entrapment hazard. These templates can easily be fabricated from cardboard, plywood, or sheet metal. B.2.6.1 Small torso template The dimensions (see Figure B3 and Figure B4) of this template are based on the size of the torso of the smallest user at risk (5th percentile 6-month-old child for Figure B3 and 2year-old child for Figure B4). If an opening is too small to admit the template, it is also too small to permit feet first entry by a child. Because children’s heads are larger than their torsos, an opening that does not admit the small torso template will also prevent head first entry into an opening by a child. B.2.6.2 Large head template The dimensions (see Figure B5) of this template are based on the largest dimension on the head of the largest child at risk (95th percentile 5-year-old child). If an opening is large enough to permit free passage of the template, it is large enough to permit free passage of the head of the largest child at risk in any orientation. Openings large enough to permit free passage of the large head template will not entrap the chest of the largest child at risk. B.2.6.3 Completely bounded openings with unlimited depth B.2.6.3.1 Test procedure Step 1: Select the appropriate small torso template based on the intended users of the playground (Figure B3 for toddler playgrounds, Figure B4 for preschooland school-age playgrounds). Step 2: Identify all completely bounded openings. Step 3: Attempt to place the small torso template in the opening with the plane of the template parallel to the plane of the opening. While keeping it parallel to the plane of the opening, the template should be rotated to its most adverse orientation (i.e., major axis of template oriented parallel to the major axis of the opening.)
Step 4: Determine if the small torso template can freely pass through the opening. No: Pass. Stop Yes: Continue
B.2.6.4 Completely bounded openings with limited depth of penetration The configuration of some openings may be such that the depth of penetration is a critical issue for determining the entrapment potential. For example, consider a vertical wall or some other barrier behind a step ladder. The entrapment potential depends not only on the dimensions of the opening between adjacent steps but also on the horizontal space between the lower boundary of the opening and the barrier. A child may enter the opening between adjacent steps feet first and may proceed to pass through the space between the rear of the lower step and the barrier and become entrapped when the child’s head is unable to pass through either of these two openings. In effect, there are openings in two different planes, and each has the potential for head entrapment and should be tested. Figure B16 illustrates these two planes for a step ladder as well as for a generic opening. Plane A is the plane of the completely bounded opening in question, and Plane B is the plane of the opening encompassing the horizontal space between the lower boundary of the opening in Plane A and the barrier that should also be tested for entrapment hazards.
B.2.6.4.1 Test procedure Step 1: Select the appropriate small torso template based on the intended users of the playground (Figure B3 for toddler playgrounds, Figure B4 for preschool-age and school-age playgrounds). Step 2: Identify all completely bounded openings with limited depth of penetration. Step 3: Place the small torso template in the opening in Plane A with its plane parallel to Plane A; rotate the template to its most adverse orientation with respect to the opening while keeping it parallel to Plane A. Step 4: Determine if the opening in Plane A admits the small torso template in any orientation when rotated about its own axis. No: Pass. The opening is small enough to prevent either head first or feet first entry by the smallest user at risk and is not an entrapment hazard. Yes: Continue. Step 5: Place the small torso template in the opening in Plane B with its plane parallel to Plane B; rotate the template to its most adverse orientation with respect to the opening while keeping it parallel to Plane B. Step 6: Determine if the opening in Plane B admits the small torso template.
No: Pass. The depth of penetration into the opening in Plane A is insufficient to result in entrapment of the smallest user at risk. Yes: Continue.
Step 7: Place the large head template (Figure B5) in the opening in Plane A with its plane parallel to Plane A. Determine if the opening in Plane A admits the large head template. No: Fail. A child, whose torso can enter the opening in Plane A as well as the opening in Plane B, may become entrapped by the head in the opening in Plane A. Yes: Continue.
Step 8: With the plane of the large head template parallel to the opening in Plane B, determine if the opening in Plane B admits the large head template. No: Fail. The largest user at risk cannot exit the opening in Plane B. Yes: Pass. The openings in Plane A and Plane B do not pose an entrapment risk. B.2.6.5 Flexible openings Climbing components such as flexible nets are also a special case for the entrapment tests because the size and shape of openings on this equipment can be altered when force is applied, either intentionally or simply when a child climbs on or falls through the openings. Children are then potentially at risk of entrapment in these distorted openings. The procedure for determining conformance to the entrapment recommendations for flexible openings requires two three-dimensional test probes which are illustrated in Figure B6, Figure B7, and Figure B8 are applied to an opening in a flexible component with a force of up to 50 pounds. B.2.6.5.1Test procedure Step 1: Select the appropriate small torso template based on the intended users of the playground (Figure B3 for toddler playgrounds, Figure B4 for preschool-age and school-age playgrounds). Step 2: Identify all completely bounded openings with flexible sides.
Step 3: Place the small torso probes (Figures B6 and B7) in the opening, tapered end first, with the plane of its base parallel to the plane of the opening. Step 4: Rotate the probe to its most adverse orientation (major axis of probe parallel to major axis of opening) while keeping the base parallel to the plane of the opening. Step 5: Determine whether the probe can be pushed or pulled through the opening by a force no greater than 30 pounds on toddler playgrounds or 50 pounds on preschool-age and school-age playgrounds. No: Pass. Stop Yes: Continue. Step 6: Place the large head probe (Figure B8) in the opening with the plane of its base parallel to the plane of the opening. Step 7: Determine if the large head probe can be pushed or pulled through the opening by a force no greater than 30 pounds on toddler playgrounds or 50 pounds on preschool-age and school-age playgrounds. Yes: Pass. Stop. No: Fail.
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