- Surfaces around the playground must have at least 12 inches of safe materials such as sands, wood chips, rubber mats, etc.
- Protective surfacing must extend 6 feet in all directions
- Structures more than 30 inches high must be placed at least 9 ft apart
- Spaces that could potentially trap children should be less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches
- Avoid using bare metal for platforms, slides, or steps (when exposed to sunlight, they may reach temperatures high enough to cause serious burn injuries
- However, if used they should be orientated so that the metal is not exposed to the sun
- All metal edges should be rolled or have rounded capping
- Any change of elevation should be obvious
- ex: Contrast of colors for elevated surfaces
- Elevated surfaces must have handrails to prevent falls and injuries
- Equipment should provide accessible play for all children, including ones with disabilities
- Make sure all equipment doesn’t have sharp edges and/or points
- There should be no dangerous hardware like open “S” hooks or protruding bolt ends
- These projections lead to the possibility of entangling children’s clothing
- Play areas should be free of tripping hazards
- Platforms should minimize the collection of debris
- Play area should be adequately shaded to protect against sun exposure, well-drained, visible from nearby paths, away from automobile and bicycle traffic, and separated from water or other natural hazards.
- There are no user modifications to the equipment, such as strings and ropes tied to equipment, swings looped over top rails, etc
- Designing separate play areas to accommodate the different dimensions, skills, and play styles of the age groups visiting your playground.
- Guardrails or protective barriers should be provided on elevated platforms, walkways, landings, stairways, and transitional surfaces.
- Playground should be checked regularly
For a more detailed version of safety guidelines take a look at this PDF: https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/325.pdf