User's Manual

5
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commis-
sion (CPSC) estimates that about 100,000 playground
equipment related injuries resulting from falls to the
ground surface are treated annually in U.S. hospital
emergency rooms. Injuries involving this hazard pattern
tend to be among the most serious of all playground
injuries, and have the potential to be fatal, particularly
when the injury is to the head. The surface under and
around playground equipment can be a major factor in
determining the injury causing potential of a fall. It is
self evident that a fall onto a shock-absorbing surface
is less likely to cause a serious injury than a fall onto
a hard surface. Playground equipment should never
be placed on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt
and while grass may appear to be acceptable, it may
quickly turn to hard packed earth in areas of high traf-
fic. Shredded bark mulch, wood chips, fine sand or fine
gravel are considered to be acceptable shock-absorbing
surfaces when installed and maintained at a sufficient
depth under and around playground equipment.
Table 1 lists the maximum height from which
a child would not be expected to sustain a life-threaten-
ing head injury in a fall onto different loose-fill surfac-
ing materials if they are installed and maintained at
depths of 6, 9, and 12 inches. However, it should be
recognized that all injuries due to falls cannot be pre-
vented no matter what surfacing material is used.
It is recommended that a shock-absorbing
material should extend a minimum of 6 ft. in all direc-
tions from the perimeter of stationary equipment such
as climbers and slides. However, because children may
deliberately jump from a moving swing, the shock ab-
sorbing material should extend in the front and rear of a
swing a minimum distance of 2 times the height of the
pivot point measured from a point directly beneath the
pivot on the supporting structure.
This information is intended to assist in
comparing the relative shock-absorbing properties of
various materials. No particular material is recom-
mended over another. However, each material is only
effective when properly maintained. Materials should
be checked periodically and replenished to maintain
correct depth as determined necessary for your equip-
ment. The choice of a material depends on the type and
height of the playground equipment, the availability of
the material in your area, and its cost.
*This information has been extracted from the CPSC publications “Playground Surfacing--Technical Information Guide” and “Handbook for Public Play-
ground Safety.” Copies of these reports can be obtained by sending a postcard to the: Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Washington, D.C., 20207 or call the toll-free hotline: [phone].
***This data is from tests conducted by independent testing laboratories on a 6-inch depth of uncompressed shredded tire samples produced by four
manufacturers. It is recommended that persons seeking to install shredded tires as a protective surface request test data from the supplier showing the critical
height of the material when it was tested in accordance with ASTM F1292.
CONSUMER INFORMATION SHEET FOR PLAYGROUND SURFACING MATERIALS*
TABLE 1 — FALL HEIGHT IN FEET FROM WHICH A LIFE THREATENING HEAD
INJURY WOULD NOT BE EXPECTED
Type of Material
Double Shredded Bark Mulch
Wood Chips
Fine Sand
Fine Gravel
Shredded Tires***
6
6
5
6
10-12
10
7
5
7
N/A
11
12
9
10
N/A
6 in. depth 9 in. depth 12 in. depth
**The maximum fall height for this product is 5 feet. We recom-
mend using 6” of Double Shredded Bark Mulch.**