Playground Maintenance

What type maintenance is required for my play equipment?

In your scheduled inspections you should document and take corrective action on all issues you observe. Inspections must be thorough, detailed and objective. Picking up litter is an on the spot activity, but you may find other problems that need parts or repair. Hazards may require that you take an activity or entire structure out of service until it is repaired. Repairs should be made in compliance to manufacturer recommendations. At some point in the life of the equipment you may need to assess the value of repair versus replacement. While it is often a greater expense to replace equipment, we can not place a value on the safety of our children. Surfacing should be checked regularly to ensure surfacing has not displaced significantly, particularly in areas of the playground most subject to displacement (heavy traffic areas). Displaced loose-fill surfacing should be raked back into proper place so that a constant depth is maintained throughout the playground area.

Key points to look for during regular checks of surfacing:

Areas under swings and at slide exits. Activity in these areas tend to displace surfacing quickly. Rake loose-fill surfacing back in place.
Pooling water on mulch surfacing. Wet mulch compacts faster then dry, fluffy mulch. If puddles are noticed regularly, consideraddressing drainage issues.
Frozen surfacing. Most loose-fill surfacing that freezes solid no longer functions as protective surfacing. Even if the first few inchesare loose, the base layer may be frozen and the impact attenuation of the surfacing may be significantly reduced.

This is NOT a complete safety evaluation of the playground equipment, such as risk of falls from equipment or moving impact incidents. Also, please be aware that playgrounds that are designed, installed and maintained in accordance with safety guidelines and standards can still present hazards to children in the absence of adequate supervision.

An inspection and maintenance program is a requirement of playground ownership. Whether you have multiple large facilities with numerous equipment or one piece of equipment or fall somewhere in between, it is your responsibility as a playground owner/operator to inspect and maintain your equipment. Because the safety of playground equipment and its suitability for use depend on good inspection and maintenance,a comprehensive maintenance program for each playground must be developed and strictly followed. All playground areas and equipment should be inspected frequently for potential hazards, paying special attention to moving parts and other components which can be expected to wear. Inspections should be carried out in a systematic manner by trained personnel familiar with the playground area, such as maintenanceworkers, playground supervisors, etc. Inspections alone do not constitute a comprehensive maintenance program. Any damaged or worn parts, or any other hazards identified during inspection must be repaired or replaced before allowing children to use the playground equipment.Implementing an inspection and maintenance program is of the utmost importance and requires the full cooperation from the owner down to the playground supervisors. The importance of this program should be understood and supported by all members of administration,maintenance and the inspection staff as well as the playground supervisors. All information pertaining to the equipment should be kept on file(e.g., manufacturer of equipment, sales representative information, sales brochures, date of purchase, sales paperwork, shipping paperwork,drawings, bill of materials/packing list, installation instructions, date of installation, installer information, warranty information, etc. A record of any accident or injury reported to have occurred on the playground equipment should also be retained. ).The frequency of inspection and maintenance will be determined by several factors, such as the amount of use the equipment receives, theage of the children playing on the equipment, the age of the equipment and the area in which the equipment is installed. However, the more the equipment is inspected, the better the chances of finding and correcting any potential problems. A recorded inspection schedule should be adhered to and a copy signed and kept on file. New sites and equipment should be added to the inspection schedule. Training must be an ongoing commitment. The inspection report will serve as a report card against your audit and action plan. The audit will continue to play a major role in the inspection and maintenance program by measuring progress using statistics, actions taken and actions recommended.We recommend that you enlist the services of a Certified Playground Safety Inspector to assist you with auditing your equipment and developing an inspection and maintenance plan to suit your individual needs. He or she will also be able to assist in the development of short term plans as well as long term plans in response to equipment that is broken, damaged, missing, vandalized, worn, etc.

Source: 2.4 Surfacing

Public Playground Safety Handbook - CPSC Publication 325

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

2.4.2.2 Loose-fill surfacing materials

1. Loose-fill materials will compress at least 25% over time due to use and weathering. This must be considered when planning the playground. For example, if the playground will require 9 inches of wood chips, then the initial fill level should be 12 inches.

2. Loose-fill surfacing requires frequent maintenance to ensure surfacing levels never drop below the minimum depth. Areas under swings and at slide exits are more susceptible to displacement; special attention must be paid to maintenance in these areas. Additionally, wear mats can be installed in these areas to reduce displacement.

3. The perimeter of the playground should provide a method of containing the loose-fill materials.

4. Consider marking equipment supports with a minimum fill level to aid in maintaining the original depth of material.

5. Good drainage is essential to maintaining loose-fill surfacing. Standing water with surfacing material

reduces effectiveness and leads to material compaction and decomposition.

6. Critical height may be reduced during winter in areas where the ground freezes.

7. Never use less than 9 inches of loose-fill material except for shredded/recycled rubber (6 inches recommended).Shallower depths are too easily displaced and compacted.

8. Some loose-fill materials may not meet ADA/ABA accessibility guidelines. For more information, contact the Access Board (see §1.6) or refer to ASTM F1951.

9. Wood mulch containing chromated copper arsenate(CCA)-treated wood products should not be used; mulch where the CCA-content is unknown should be avoided(see §2.5.5.1).

Table 2 (CPSC Pub 325) shows the minimum required depths of loose-fill material needed based on material type and fall height. The depths shown assume the materials have been compressed due to use and weathering and are properly maintained to the given level.

Source: 2.5 Equipment Materials

• All fasteners, connectors, and covering devices should not loosen or be removable without the use of tools.

• All fasteners, connectors, and covering devices that are exposed to the user should be smooth and should not be likely to cause laceration, penetration, or present a clothing entanglement hazard (see also §3.2 (of CPSC Pub. 325) and Appendix B).

• Avoid “film-forming” or non-penetrating stains (latex semi-transparent, latex opaque and oil-based opaque stains) on outdoor surfaces because peeling and flaking may occur later, which will ultimately have an impact on durability as well as exposure to the preservatives in the wood.