Safety

Not all play equipment is age appropriate for all children who use a playground. Playgrounds should be designed for three age categories, toddlers, pre-school, and school age, to provide age appropriate playground equipment.

Two-thirds of all injuries on playgrounds involve bone fractures. Nearly all of these fractures (90%) involve upper limbs and come from falls from monkey bars or climbing frames.

Various hazardous chemicals and poisons can sometimes be found in a playground environment. These chemicals and poisons are the result of treatments applied to play equipment or living organisms that affect playground areas.

The definition of a completely bounded opening is any opening in a piece of play equipment that is totally enclosed by boundaries on all sides so that the perimeter of the opening is continuous.

Crush or shear hazards could cause the user to have the following injuries: "contusion, laceration, abrasion, amputation or fracture during the use of playground equipment." Crush and shear hazards are points found in places where parts move against each other or a fixed part.

Drawstrings, particularly on hoods and necks of children's clothing, can become entangled on playground equipment and cause death by strangulation. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has been very active in bringing this hazard to the attention of consumers and to the clothing industry.

Entrapment is defined as "any condition which impedes withdrawal of a body or a body part that has penetrated an opening." Many types of gaps can be found on playground equipment that could result in some type of entrapment.

Fall height is a measurement defined as the vertical distance between a designated play surface and the protective surfacing beneath it. The fall height of the equipment should not exceed the critical height of the surface in the design of playgrounds and the type and depth of surfacing used under the equipment.

Playgrounds are intended to be fun, safe places to take children to visit and play. The National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI), a program developed under the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), identified twelve of the leading causes of injury on playgrounds known as "The Dirty Dozen."

Playground inspectors use a wide array of gauges and tools in their inspections to be sure playgrounds meet the safety specifications detailed in the appropriate ASTM International Standards and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Public Playground Safety Handbook. Inspectors learn what the tools are and how to use them when taking the Certified Playground Safety Inspector training sponsored by the National Recreation and Park Association.

Mold can frequently be found on playgrounds with wood surfaces and in wood mulch. The mold that most commonly grows on wood playground surfaces is called a slime mold. This mold is irregular in shape and grows in various colors such as brown, yellow, pink, or white. Slime molds are a temporary nuisance and are generally confined to small areas.

A Protective Barrier on a playground structure is defined as "An enclosing device around an elevated surface that prevents both inadvertent and deliberate attempts to pass through the device." Protective barriers are required to protect children from jumping or falling from elevated surfaces.

The National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) was created in October of 1995 to help communities across the nation examine the critical issues surrounding playground safety. S.A.F.E. is an acronym created by NPPS and used in its National Action Plan to help the public create safe play environments for children.

Signs and Labels on and around playground equipment provide safety information on playgrounds. Some signs are for information, some are for warning, and some are for user education. Signs should be placed at the entrance to the play area or in a conspicuous location on the equipment. Freestanding signs must be near the play equipment entrance but outside of the use zone.

A suspended hazard is a non-rigid component such as a cable, wire or unattached swing chain that is suspended between play structures or from the ground to the play structure that is within 45 degrees of horizontal, unless it is above 84 inches and is a minimum of 1" wide at its widest point.

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is committed to promoting safe play environments for children. When the National Playground Safety Institute (NSPI) was formed as part of NRPA, the NPSI Board of Directors along with their instructors prioritized a list of what they considered to be the top twelve safety issues that result in playground injuries.