Public Playground Safety Handbook

Public Playground

Equipment for use by children ages 6 months through 12 years in the playground areas of: commercial child care facilities (non-residential), institutions, multiple family dwellings, parks (city, state, community), restaurants, resorts and recreational developments, schools, other areas of public use.

Adjacent components on composite structures should be complementary. For example, an access component should not be located in a slide ____ ____.

Exit zone

____ ____ are not recommended as the sole means of access to equipment intended for toddlers and preschool-age children.

Flexible climbers

____ ____ that provide access to platforms should be securely ____ at both ends.

Flexible climbers, anchored

Slide Chute

The inclined sliding surface of a slide.

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 degrees from horizontal.

Supervisor

Any person tasked with watching children on a playground. Supervisors may be paid professionals, paid seasonal workers, volunteers, or unpaid caregivers of the children playing in the playground.

Projection

Anything 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.

____ ____ should not be used as the sole means of access to other equipment for ____.

Arch climbers, preschoolers

____ ____ consist of ____ attached to convex side supports.

Arch climbers, rungs

Inappropriate surfacing material includes: _____, ______, _____, _____, _____, _____.

Asphalt, Carpet not tested to ASTM F1292, Concrete, Dirt, Grass, CCA treated wood mulch

Exposed open ends of all tubing not resting on the ground or otherwise covered should be covered by ____ or ____ that cannot be removed without the use of tools.

Caps, plugs

Preschool-Age Children

Children 2 years of age through 5 years of age.

School-Age Children

Children 5 years of age through 12 years of age.

Toddlers

Children 6 months through 23 months of age.

_____, _____, or other _____ _____ should never be directly under playground equipment.

Concrete, asphalt, hard surfaces

Painted surfaces should be maintained to prevent ____ and ____.

Corrosion, deterioration

____ - treated wood and coatings that contain pesticides should not be used.

Creosote

Any ____ between a handrail and an adjacent vertical structure should not pose an ____ ____

opening, entrapment hazard

An access component (such as a rung) is needed if the difference in heights is more than 12 inches for ____ age and 18 inches for ____ age children.

preschool, school

Connections between ____, ____, ____, or between ____ should be securely fixed.

ropes, cables, chains, tires

Platforms should ____ the collection of debris.

minimize

Grade School spiral slides can have _____ ____ one 360 degree turn.

more than

TODDLERS: Balance beams should be no higher than ____ ____?

not recommended

Guardrails and barriers should: Except for entrance and exit openings, the maximum clearance opening without a top ____ _____ should be ____ inches.

horizontal guardrail ,15

A hook is considered closed if there is no gap or space greater than ____ inches, about the thickness of a dime.

0.04

TODDLERS: Handrails or other means of hand support should have a diameter or maximum cross-section between ____ and ____ inches.

0.6, 1.2

TODDLERS: A diameter or maximum cross-section of ____ inches is preferred to achieve maximal grip strength and benefit the weakest children.

0.90

PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOL-AGE: Rungs, handrails, climbing bars, or other means of hand support intended for holding should have a diameter or maximum cross-section between ____ and ____ inches.

0.95, 1.55

PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOL-AGE: A diameter or maximum cross-section of ____ inches is preferred to achieve maximal grip strength and benefit the weakest children.

1.25

Unless there is an alternate means of egress/access the maximum difference in height between stepped platforms for PRESCHOOLERS should be ____ inches.

12

PRE-SCHOOL AGE: Balance beams should be no higher than ____ ____?

12 inches

If a playground requires 10 inches of wood chips, the initial fill level should be at ____ inches.

12.5

TODDLERS: 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 top surface of the handrail above it should be between ____ and ____ inches.

15, 20

SCHOOL-AGE: Balance beams should be no higher than ____ ____?

16 inches

Unless there is an alternate means of egress/access the maximum difference in height between stepped platforms for SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN should be ____ inches.

18

Bolts should not expose more than ____ threads beyond the end of the nut.

2

PRESCHOOLERS: 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 top surface of the handrail above it should be between ____ and ____ inches.

22, 26

SCHOOL AGE: 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 top surface of the handrail above it should be between ____ and ____ inches.

22, 38

Loose-fill materials will compress at least ____ percent over time due to use and weathering.

25

Certain openings could present an entrapment hazard if the distance between any interior opposing surfaces is greater than ____ inches and less than ____ inches.

3.5, 9

Toddler climbing equipment should be under ____ inches high.

32

TODDLERS: The maximum fall height for free standing and composite climbing structures should be ____ ____.

32 inches

Preschool spiral slides should rotate up to _____ degrees.

360

Toddler spiral slides should rotate less than _____ degrees.

360

Angles formed by two accessible adjacent parts should be greater than ____ degrees unless the lowest leg is horizontal or below horizontal.

55

Shredded/Recycled rubber should be at a minimum of ____ inches and has a fall height of ____ feet.

6, 10

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 ____ feet between equipment when adjacent designated play surfaces are no more than ____ inches high; or -There is at least ____ feet between equipment when adjacent designated play surfaces are more than 30 inches high.

6, 30, 9

Ages _____ months to _____ years old have to use swings with full bucket seats.

6, 5

The user zone should extend a minimum of ____ feet in ____ ____ from the perimeter of the stand alone climber.

6, all directions

Preschool horizontal ladders should be less than or equal to ______ inches high for ages 4 and 5.

60

Unless there is an alternate means of egress/access the maximum difference in height between stepped platforms for TODDLERS should be ____ inches.

7

The space between the stepped platforms should follow the following for TODDLERS: If the space is less than ____ inches, infill should be used to reduce the space to less than ____ inches.

7, 3

Wood chips should be at a minimum of ____ inches and has a fall height of ____ feet.

9, 10

The space between the stepped platforms should follow the following for PRESCHOOL AGE: If the space exceeds ____ inches and the height of the lower platform above the protective surfacing exceeds ____ inches, infill should be used to reduce the space to less than ____ inches.

9, 30, 3.5

Sand should be at a minimum of ____ inches and has a fall height of ____ feet.

9, 4

The space between the stepped platforms should follow the following for SCHOOL AGE: If the space exceeds ____ inches and the height of the lower platform above the protective surfacing exceeds ____ inches, infill should be used to reduce the space to less than ____ inches.

9, 48, 3.5

Pea gravel should be at a minimum of ____ inches and has a fall height of ____ feet.

9, 5

Never use less than ____ inches of loose-fill material except for shredded/recycled rubber ( ____ inches recommended).

9, 6

Wood mulch (non-CCA) should be at a minimum of ____ inches and has a fall height of ____ feet.

9, 7

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.

Footing

A means for anchoring playground equipment to the ground.

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.

Tube Slide

A slide in which the chute consists of a totally enclosed tube or tunnel.

Roller Slide

A slide that has a chute consisting of a series of individual rollers over which the user travels.

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.

What are the key factors to keep in mind when laying out a playground? (6 in total)

Accessibility, age separation, conflicting activities, sight lines, signage and/or labeling, supervision.

Barrier

An enclosing device around an elevated platform that is intended to prevent both inadvertent and deliberate attempts to pass through the device.

The diameter of a projection should not ____ in the direction away from the surrounding surface toward the exposed end.

Increase

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.)

Appropriate surfacing material includes: ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____.

Pea gravel, sand, shredded/recycled rubber mulch, wood mulch, wood chips

____ intended for toddlers should be no more than 32 inches from the ground.

Platforms

Guardrails and barriers should: ____ ____ ____ from the platform

Prevent unintentional falls

Guardrails and barriers should: ____ the possibility of ____.

Prevent, entrapment

A playground should never be installed without ____ ____ of some type.

Protective surfacing

Hardware in moving joints should also be ____ against unintentional or unauthorized loosening.

Secured

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.

Although the intended user group should be obvious from the design and scale of equipment, ______ and/or _____ posted in the playground area or on the equipment should give some guidance to supervisors as to the age appropriateness of the equipment.

Signs, labels

All fasteners, connectors, and covering devices that are exposed to the user should be ____ and should not be likely to cause ____, ____, or present a clothing entanglement hazard.

Smooth, laceration, penetration

In playgrounds with areas for a different ages, the older children's area should be ________ 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.

Visible

Older playgrounds with ____ based paints should be identified and a strategy to control lead paint exposure should be developed.

lead

"Climbers" refers to a wide variety of equipment, such as but not limited to: ____ ____, ____ ____, ____ ____, ____ ____, ____ ____, ____ ____, ____ ____ ____.

arch climbers, dome climbers, flexible climbers, parallel bars, sliding poles, spiral climbers, upper body equipment.

A ____ should minimize the likelihood of passage of a child during deliberate attempts to defeat the ____. Any openings between uprights or between the platform surface and lower edge of a protective ____ should prevent passage of the small ____ ____.

barrier, barrier, barrier, torso template

Climbers should not have ____ ____ or other rigid structural components in the ____ of the climber onto which a child may fall from a height of greater than ____ inches.

climbing bars, interior, 18

If the climber is part of a ____ ____, the fall height is the distance between the highest part of the climber intended for ____ ____ and the protective surfacing beneath it.

composite structure, foot support

Moving equipment, such as swings and merry-go-rounds, should be located toward a _____, ____, or ____ of the play area while ensuring that the appropriate use zones around the equipment are maintained.

corner, side, edge

Openings in platforms should be provided to allow for ____.

drainage

The ____ ____ of a balance beam is the distance between the top of the walking surface and the protective surfacing beneath it.

fall height

Platforms should be generally ____ (i.e., within +- ____ degrees of horizontal)

flat, 2

When connected to the ____, the ____ ____ should be installed below ground level and beneath the base of the protective surfacing material.

ground, anchoring devices

The ____ of a handrail should provide support from the ____ ____ until the child has fully achieved the desired posture on the platform.

handhold, access component

Access methods that do not have ____, such as ____ ____, ____ ____, ____ ____, and ____ ____, should provide hand supports for the transition between the top of the access and the platform.

handrails, rung ladders, flexible climbers, arch climbers, tire climbers

Flexible climbers use a grid of ____, ____, ____, or ____ for climbing. Since the flexible parts do not provide a steady means of ____, flexible climbers require more advanced balance abilities than rigid climbers.

ropes, chains, cables, tires, support

Rungs should be generally ____.

round

Rungs with ____ shapes are easiest for children to grip.

round

All ____ should be secured in a manner that prevents them from turning.

rungs

Guardrails and barriers should: Facilitate ____.

supervision

Guardrails and barriers should: Completely ____ any elevated platform.

surround

All hand grips should be secured in a manner that prevents them from ____.

turning

Slide exits should be located in an ________ area of the playground.

uncongested