Use and Care Manual
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130316CFR Title
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• X3.1 The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 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
traffic. 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.
• X3.2 Table X3.1 lists the maximum height from which a child would
not be expected to sustain a life-threatening head injury in a fall
onto five different loose-fill surfacing materials if they are installed
and maintained at a depth of 9 in. However, it should be recognized
that all injuries due to falls can not be prevented no matter what
surfacing material is used.
• X3.3 It is recommended that a shock absorbing material should
extend a minimum of 6.5 ft. in all directions from the perimeter of
stationary equipment such as climbers and slides. However, because
children may deliberately jump from a moving swing, the shock
absorbing material should extend in the front and rear of 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.
• X3.4 This information is intended to assist in comparing the relative
shock-absorbing properties of various materials. No particular
material is recommended 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 equipment. The choice of a material
depends on the type and height of the playground equipment, the
availablity of the material in your area, and its cost.
PLEASE SAVE THIS SHEET FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
The Step2 Company, LLC.
10010 Aurora-Hudson Rd.
Streetsboro, OH 44241 USA
1-800-347-8372
Valid only in U.S.A. and Canada
(330)656-0440
This information has been extracted from the CPSC publications
“Playground Surfacing – Technical Information Guide”. Copies of
this publication 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: 1-800-638-2772.
Inches of Loose-ll Material Protects to Fall Height (feet)
9 Shredded/ recycled rubber 10
9 Sand 4
9 Pea Gravel 5
9 Wood mulch (non-CCA) 7
9 Wood chips 10
Table X3.1
Consumer Information Sheet For Playground Surfacing Materials
Minimum compressed loose-ll surfacing depths