Placement and
Play Area Surfacing
Before installing the Lift & Lock Swing, select and
prepare a play area.
Placement
Install the swing at least three feet from any structure or
obstruction such as a tree trunk, fence, garage, house,
overhanging branches, laundry lines or electrical lines.
Surfacing
Following are guidelines from the Consumer Product
Safety Commission’s Handbook for Public Playground
Safety to minimize injuries that can result from falls.
These guildelines apply to playground equipment
including but not limited to swing sets and
climbing equipment.
Hard surfacing materials are not suitable for use
under this equipment. Earth surfaces such as soils
and hard packed dirt are also not recommended
because their shock absorbing properties can vary
depending on climatic conditions such as moisture and
temperature. Grass and turf are not recommended
because their effectiveness in absorbing shock during a
fall can be reduced considerably due to wear and
environmental conditions.
Acceptable surfacing materials are available in two basic
types: loose-fill and unitary.
Loose-fill materials can have acceptable shock absorbing
properties when installed at sufficient uncompressed
depth of at least 6 inches. These materials include sand
(fine and coarse), gravel (fine and medium) and shredded
wood products (wood mulch, shredded bark, wood chips).
Loose-fills should not be installed over hard surfaces
such as asphalt or concrete.
The depth of any loose-fill material could be reduced
during use resulting in different shock-absorbing
characteristics. For this reason, a depth greater than the
minimum recommended should be considered.
Unitary materials are generally rubber mats or a
combination of rubber-like 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.
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