Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 06/10/2021

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Handbook for Playground Safety 2.3.1 Equipment not recommended Some playground equipment is not recommended for use on public playgrounds, including: • Trampolines • Swinging gates • Giant strides • Climbing ropes that are not secured at both ends. • Heavy metal swings (e.g., animal figures) — These are not recommended because their heavy rigid metal framework presents a risk of impact injury. • Multiple occupancy swings — With the exception of tire swings, swings that are intended for more than one user are not recommended because their greater mass, as com- pared to single occupancy swings, presents a risk of impact injury. • Rope swings — Free -swinging ropes that may fray or other- wise form a loop are not recommended because they pre- sent a potential strangulation hazard. • Swinging dual exercise rings and trapeze bars — These are rings and trapeze bars on long chains that are generally considered to be items of athletic equipment and are not recommended for public playgrounds. NOTE: The recom- mendation against the use of exercise rings does not apply to overhead hanging rings such as those used in a ring trek or ring ladder (see Figure 7). ICY 11/ 2.4 Surfacing The surfacing under and around playground equip- ment is one of the most important factors in reducing the likelihood of life -threat- ening head injuries. A fall onto a shock absorbing sur- face is less likely to cause a serious head injury than a fall onto a hard surface. However, some injuries from falls, including broken limbs, may occur no matter what playground surfacing material is used. The most widely used test method for evaluating the shock absorbing properties of a playground surfacing material is to drop an instrumented metal headform onto a sample of the material and record the acceleration/time pulse during the impact. Field and laboratory test methods are described in ASTM F1292 Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment. Testing using the methods described in ASTM F1292 will provide a "critical height" rating of the surface. This height can be considered as an approximation of the fall height below which a life -threatening head injury would not be expected to occur. Manufacturers and installers of play- ground protective surfacing should provide the critical height rating of their materials. This rating should be greater than or equal to the fall height of the highest piece of equip- ment on the playground. The fall height of a piece of equip- ment is the distance between the highest designated play surface on a piece of equipment and the protective surface beneath it. Details for determining the highest designated play surface and fall height on some types of equipment are included in §5 Parts of the Playground. 2.4.1 Equipment not covered by protective surfacing recommendations The recommendations for protective surfacing do not apply to equipment that requires a child to be standing or sitting at ground level. Examples of such equipment are: • Sand boxes • Activity walls at ground level • Play houses • Any other equipment that children use when their feet remain in contact with the ground surface 2.4.2 Selecting a surfacing material There are two options available for surfacing public play- grounds: unitary and loose -fill materials. A playground should never be installed without protective surfacing of some type. Concrete, asphalt, or other hard surfaces should never be directly under playground equipment. Grass and dirt are not considered protective surfacing because wear and environmental factors can reduce their shock absorbing effectiveness. Carpeting and mats are also not appropriate unless they are tested to and comply with ASTM F1292. Loose -fill should be avoided for playgrounds intended for toddlers. 8