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The following guidelines are extracts from the Consumer Product Safety Commission Outdoor
Home Playground Safety Handbook.
It is recommended that you read the entire handbook and
take necessary precautions to prevent serious injuries to your children, including:
CHOOSING A SITE
When you choose a home playground, a location away from roads and driveways and readily visible
from inside the home and patios or porches, is important.
Create a site free of obstacles that could cause injuries such as low overhanging tree branches,
overhead wires, tree stumps and/or roots, large rocks, bricks and concrete.
Choose a level location for the equipment. This can reduce the likelihood of the play set tipping over
and loose-fill surfacing materials washing away during heavy rains. Some sites may need regrading
to improve drainage or to reduce the slope.
Locate play set at least 6 feet from any structure or obstacles, such as a house, fence, sheds, trees
or poles. Swings should be further away from structures to the front and rear of the swings-a
distance equal to twice the height of the top bar from which the swing is suspended.
Locate bare metal platforms and slides out of direct sunlight to reduce the likelihood of serious
burns. A slide that faces north will receive the least direct sunlight.
SELECT PROTECTIVE SURFACING
One of the most important things you can do to reduce the likelihood of serious head injuries is to install
shock-absorbing protective surfacing under and around your play set. The protective surfacing should be
applied to a depth that is suitable for the equipment height in accordance with ASTM F1292. There are
different types of surfacing to choose from; whichever product you select, follow these guidelines:
Do not install home playground equipment over concrete, asphalt, or any other hard surface. A
fall onto a hard surface can result in serious injury to the equipment user. Grass and dirt are not
considered protective surfacing because wear and environmental factors can reduce their shock
absorbing effectiveness. Carpeting and thin mats are generally not adequate protective
surfacing.
Loose-Fill Materials
Maintain a minimum depth of 9 inches of loose-fill materials such as wood mulch/chips, engineered
wood fiber (EWF), or shredded/recycled rubber mulch for equipment up to 8 feet high; and 9 inches
of sand or pea gravel for equipment up to 5 feet high. NOTE: An initial fill level of 12 inches will
compress to about a 9-inch depth of surfacing over time. The surfacing will also compact, displace,
and settle, and should be periodically refilled to maintain at least a 9-inch depth.
Use containment, such as digging out around the perimeter and/or lining the perimeter with
landscape edging. Don’t forget to account for water drainage.
Check and maintain the depth of the loose-fill surfacing material. To maintain the right amount of
loose-fill materials, mark the correct level on play equipment support posts. That way you can easily
see when to replenish and/or redistribute the surfacing.
Do not
install loose fill surfacing over hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt.
IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION SHEET
