Overview! Applicable Guidelines & Standards! Definitions! Why is a safe playground important?! Statistics! What is a safe playground?! What constitutes an unsafe playground?! Other considerations! Summary
Guidelines & Standards
Applicable Guidelines & Standards! CPSC Pub 325, Public Playground Safety Handbook! ASTM F1487-11, Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use! ASTM F1292-09, Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surfacing Materials Within the Use Zone of Playground Equipment! ASTM F1951-09b, Standard Specification for Determination of Accessibility of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment! ASTM F2223-10, Standard Guide for ASTM Standards on Playground Surfacing! ASTM F2479-12, Standard Guide for Specification, Purchase, Installation and Maintenance of Poured-in-Place Playground Surfacing! ASTM F2049-11, Standard Guide for Fences/Barriers for Public, Commercial, and Multi-Family Residential Use Outdoor Play Areas! ASTM F2075-10a, Standard Specification for Engineered Wood Fiber for Use as a Playground Safety Surface Under and Around Playground Equipment! DOJ 2010 ADA Standard for Accessible Design
CPSC Guidelines are NOT for:! Amusement park equipment! Sports or fitness equipment! Users over age 12! Soft contained play equipment! Constant air inflatable play devices! Art and museum sculptures! Equipment found in water play facilities! Home playground equipment
ASTM F1487 Stipulates: Products or materials (site furnishings) that are installed outside of the equipment use zone, such as benches, tables, independent shade structures, and borders used to contain protective surfacing, are not considered playground equipment and are not included in this specification.
Definitions
A Few Key Definitions! Public playground! Designated play surface! Fall height! Critical height! Entanglement! Protrusion! Entrapment! Use zone
Define: Public Playground Public playground equipment refers to equipment for use by children ages 6 months through 12 years in the playground areas of:! Commercial (non-residential) child care facilities! Institutions! Multiple family dwellings: Apartment & condominium buildings! City, state, & community maintained parks! Restaurants! Resorts & recreational developments! Schools! Other areas of public use
Define: 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 from horizontal.
Define: Fall Height The vertical distance between the highest designated play surface on a piece of equipment and the protective surfacing beneath it.
Define: Critical Height The fall height below which a life-threatening head injury would not be expected to occur. A rating for protective surfacing expressed in even feet.
Critical Height
Define: Entanglement A condition in which the user s clothes or something around the user s neck becomes caught or entwined on a component of playground equipment.
Entanglement
Define: 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.
Define: Entrapment Any condition that impedes withdrawal of a body or body part that has penetrated an opening. Preschool and school-age small torso template (5 th percentile for 2-year old child)
Entrapment If the small torso template passes through an opening, the large head template must also pass through the opening. Large head template (95 th percentile for a 5-year old child)
Entrapments
Define: Use Zone The surface under and around a piece of equipment onto which a child falling from or exiting from the equipment would be expected to land.
Use Zone
Importance Of Safe Playgrounds
Safe Playground Importance! It may be the law State law Federal law! Liability! It s the kids!
It May Be the Law! CPSC Publication No. 325 and ASTM playground standards are generally considered to be voluntary! According to the National Program for Playground Safety, the following states have adopted all or parts of CPSC or ASTM
Playground Legislation Arkansas California Connecticut Florida Illinois Michigan New Jersey North Carolina Oklahoma Oregon Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Wyoming Source: National Program for Playground Safety, NPPS; http://playgroundsafety.org/standards/regulations
Liability! Death or injury! Lawsuits! Public perception! Reputation
It s the Kids
Statistics
Playground Accidents Between 2001-2008, an average of 218,851 preschool and elementary children received emergency department care for injuries that occurred on playground equipment.! 51% of the injuries happened on public playground equipment! 19% occurred on home playground equipment! 20% not recorded! 1% Other Source: Injuries & Investigated Deaths Associated with Playground Equipment, 2001-08; CPSC October 29, 2009 Statistics are based, in part, on data provided by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS)
Playground Accidents Of the incidents reported:! 67% involved falls or equipment failure! 8% hazards around but not related to the equipment! 7% collisions with other children or the equipment! 7% entrapments! 11% other Source: Injuries & Investigated Deaths Associated with Playground Equipment, 2001-08; CPSC October 29, 2009 Statistics are based, in part, on data provided by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS)
Playground Accidents 40 Deaths were associated with playground equipment between 2001-2008.! Average age was 6 years; median age was 4 years.! 27 deaths were the result of hangings or other asphyxiations! 7 deaths were the result of head or neck injuries Source: Injuries & Investigated Deaths Associated with Playground Equipment, 2001-08; CPSC October 29, 2009 Statistics are based, in part, on data provided by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS)
Safe Playgrounds
What is a Safe Playground?
What is a Safe Playground?! Conforms with CPSC and ASTM Guidelines! Regular Inspections and Maintenance High Frequency Low Frequency! Training Maintenance Personnel Monitors Other Stakeholders! Supervision
What is a Safe Playground?! Replacement Program Equipment doesn t last forever No consistent life cycle; affected by: Environment! Vigilance Materials Use patterns/unrestricted access Maintenance
Unsafe Playgrounds Common Playground Hazards
Entanglements
Entanglements
Entanglements
Wrong Parts
Protrusions
Protective Surfacing
Protective Surfacing
Other Concerns
Other Concerns
Other Concerns
Other Concerns
Other Concerns
For Consideration
Risk Management Signage
ADA Compliance
Summary
Summary! Keys to a Safe Playground Design Installation Maintenance Supervision
Summary! Children learn from taking risks! It is our job to eliminate the hazards
A Safe Playground is No Accident
References ALPHAfacilities.com for resources:! Pub 325! DOJ 2010 ADA Standard for Accessible Design! CPSC Playground Injuries Report 2009
Ron Menke Certified Playground Safety Inspector #180181-0116 National Playground Safety Institute of the National Recreation and Park Association 11503 NW Military Hwy, Ste 300, San Antonio, TX 78231 e: ron.menke@alpha-fs.com www.alphafacilities.com LINKEDIN: www.linkedin.com/pub/ron-menke/36/1b2/158