Use this checklist to inspect your local school or community
playground. If you mark any items with an "X," ask the proper
school or park official to correct these hazards
immediately-before injuries occur.
[ ] Protective Surfacing - The surfaces under and around play
equipment should be soft enough to cushion falls. For most
play equipment, these surfaces should contain a minimum of
12 inches of wood chips, mulch, sand or pea gravel.
[ ] Fall Zones - To cushion a fall, the shock absorbing material
should extend a minimum of 6 feet in all directions from
stationary pieces of play equipment. In front of and behind
swings, the material should extend a distance equal to twice
the height of the suspending bar.
[ ] Equipment Spacing - Play structures should be spaced at
least 12 feet apart to allow children space to circulate or
fall without striking another structure. Moving pieces of
equipment should be located in an area away from other play
structures so children have adequate room to pass from one
play area to another without being struck by a moving swing
or by another child exiting from a slide.
[ ] Catch Points and Protruding Hardware - There should be no
dangerous pieces of hardware, such as protruding bolt ends
and narrow gaps in metal connections or open "S" hooks at
the top and bottom of swings. Exposed hardware can cut
children, puncture skin, or catch clothing drawstrings,
which could strangle a child.
[ ] Openings that can trap - Openings in guardrails, and spaces
between platforms and between ladder rungs, should measure
less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches. Children can get
trapped and strangle in openings where they can fit their
bodies but not their heads through the space.
[ ] Pinch, Crush, Shearing, and Sharp Hazards - Equipment should
not have sharp points or edges that could cut skin. Moving
pieces of equipment, such as suspension bridges, track
rides, merry-go-rounds or, seesaws, should not have
accessible moving parts that might crush or pinch a child's
finger.
[ ] Tripping Hazards - There should be no exposed concrete
footings, abrupt changes in surface elevations, tree roots,
tree stumps, and rocks, which can trip children or adults.
[ ] Guardrails - Elevated surfaces--such as platforms, ramps,
and bridgeways--should have guardrails to prevent falls.
[ ] Routine Maintenance - Find out if your playground has a
designated official who periodically inspects the play
equipment for preventive maintenance. This includes:
replacing missing, broken, or worn-out components; securing
hardware; checking for deterioration in the wood, metal, or
plastic materials; maintaining the proper 12-inch depth of
surfacing material; and cleaning up debris.
[ ] Supervision - The play area should be designed so that
adults can observe children at play.
For more detailed information, school or park officials can
order CPSC's Handbook for Public Playground Safety" and parents
can order CPSC's "Fact Sheet: Tips for Public Playground Safety."
For copies of these or other CPSC publications, write the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission Washington, DC 20207. To
report a dangerous product or a product-related injury and for
information on CPSC's fax-on-demand service, call CPSC's hotline
at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To
obtain information by fax-on-demand, call (301) 504-0051 from the
handset of a fax machine and follow the instructions for ordering
documents. Consumers can obtain recall information via Internet
gopher services at cpsc.gov or report hazard to info@cpsc.gov.
