Slide Specifications
Public Playground Safety Handbook - CPSC Publication 325
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
5.3.6 Slides
Children can be expected to descend slide chutes in many different positions, rather than always sitting and facing forward as they slide. These other positions should be discouraged at all times to minimize injuries.
Slides may provide a straight, wavy, or spiral descent either by means of a tube or an open slide chute. They may be either free-standing (Figure 17), part of a composite structure, or built on the grade of a natural or man-made slope(embankment slide). Regardless of the type of slide, avoid using bare metals on the platforms, chutes, and steps. When exposed to direct sunlight the bare metal may reach temperatures high enough to cause serious contact burn injuries in a matter of seconds. Provide shade for bare metal slides or use other materials that may reduce the surface temperature such as, but not limited to, plastic or coated metal.
5.3.6.1 Slide Access
Access to a stand-alone slide generally is by means of a ladder with rungs, steps, or a stairway with steps. Slides may also be part of a composite play structure, so children will gain access from other parts of the structure. Embankment slides use the ground for access.
5.3.6.2 Slide platform
All slides should be provided with a platform with sufficient length to facilitate the transition from standing to sitting at the top of the inclined sliding surface. Embankment slides are exempt from platform requirements because they are on ground level; however, they should not have any spaces or gaps as noted below.
The platform should:
• Be at least 19 inches deep for toddlers.
• Be at least 14 inches deep for preschool-age and school-age children.
• Be horizontal.
• Be at least as wide as the slide chute.
• Be surrounded by guardrails or barriers.
• Conform to the same recommendations as general platforms given in §5.1.1.
• Not have any spaces or gaps that could trap strings, clothing, body parts, etc. between the platform and the start of the slide chute.
• Provide handholds to facilitate the transition from standing to sitting and decrease the risk of falls (except tube slides where the tube perimeter provides hand support). These should extend high enough to provide hand support for the largest child in a standing position, and low enough to provide hand support for the smallest child in a sitting position.
• Provide a means to channel a user into a sitting position at the entrance to the chute, such as a guardrail, hood, or other device that discourages climbing.
5.3.6.3 Slide Chutes
5.3.6.3.1 Embankment slides
• The slide chute of an embankment slide should have a maximum height of 12 inches above the underlying ground surface. This design basically eliminates the hazard of falls from elevated heights.
• Embankment slides should follow all of the recommendations given for straight slides where applicable (e.g., side height, slope, use zone at exit, etc.).
• There should be some means provided at the slide chute entrance to minimize the use of embankment slides by children on skates, skateboards, or bicycles.
5.3.6.3.2 Roller slides
• Roller slides should meet applicable recommendations for other slides (e.g., side height, slope, use zone at exit, etc.).
• The space between adjacent rollers and between the ends of the rollers and the stationary structure should be less than 3/16 inch.
• Frequent inspections are recommended to insure that there are no missing rollers or broken bearings and that the rollers roll.
5.3.6.3.3 Spiral Slides
• Spiral slides should follow the recommendations for straight slides where applicable (e.g., side height, slope, use zone at exit, etc.).
• Special attention should be given to design features which may present problems unique to spiral slides, such as lateral discharge of the user.
• Toddlers and preschool-age children have less ability to maintain balance and postural control, so only short spiral slides (one 360° turn or less) are recommended for these age groups.
5.3.6.3.4 Straight Slides
•Flat open chutes should have sides at least 4 inches high extending along both sides of the chute for the entire length of the inclined sliding surface.
• The sides should be an integral part of the chute, without any gaps between the sides and the sliding surface. (This does not apply to roller slides).
• Slides may have an open chute with a circular, semicircular or curved cross section provided that:
A. The vertical height of the sides is no less than 4 inches when measured at right angles to a horizontal line that is 8 inches long when the slide is intended for toddlers, 12 inches long when the slide is intended for preschool-age children, and 16 inches long when the slide is intended for school-age children (Figure 18);or
B. For any age group, the vertical height of the sides is no less than 4 inches minus two times the width of the slide chute divided by the radius of the slide chute curvature (Figure 19).
• For toddlers:
– The average incline of a slide chute should be no more than 24° (that is, the height to horizontal length ratio shown in Figure 20 does not exceed 0.445).
– No section of the slide chute should have a slope greater than 30°.
– The slide chute should be between 8 and 12 inches wide.
• For preschool- and school-age children:
– The average incline of a slide chute should be no more than 30° (that is, the height to horizontal length ratio shown in Figure 20 does not exceed 0.577).
– No section of the slide chute should have a slope greater than 50°.
5.3.6.3.5 Tube Slides
• Tube slides should meet all the applicable recommendations for other slides (e.g., side height, slope, use zone at exit, etc.).
• Means, such as barriers or textured surfaces, should be provided to prevent sliding or climbing on the top(outside) of the tube.
• The minimum internal diameter of the tube should be no less than 23 inches.
• Supervisors should be aware of children using tube slides since the children are not always visible.
5.3.6.4 Chute Exit Region
All slides should have an exit region to help children maintain their balance and facilitate a smooth transition from sitting to standing when exiting. The chute exit region should:
• Be between 0 and -4° as measured from a plane parallel to the ground.
• Have edges that are rounded or curved to prevent lacerations or other injuries that could result from impact with a sharp or straight edge.
• For toddlers the chute exit region should:
– Be between 7 and 10 inches long if any portion of the chute exceeds a 24° slope.
– Be no more than 6 inches above the protective surfacing.
– Have a transition from the sliding portion to the exit region with a radius of curvature of at least 18 inches.
• For preschool- and school-age the chute exit region should:
– Be at least 11 inches long.
– Be no more than 11 inches above the protective surfacing if the slide is no greater than 4 feet high.
– Be at least 7 inches but not more than 15 inches above the protective surfacing if the slide is over 4 feet high.
5.3.6.5 Slide Use Zone
Toddlers:
• In a limited access environment
– The use zone should be at least 3 feet around the perimeter of the slide.
– The area at the end of the slide should not overlap with the use zone for any other equipment.
• In public areas with unlimited access
– For a stand-alone slide, the use zone should be at least6 feet around the perimeter.
– For slides that are part of a composite structure, the minimum use zone between the access components and the side of the slide chute should be 3 feet.
– The use zone at the end of the slide should be at least 6 feet from the end of the slide and not overlap with the use zone for any other equipment.
Preschool- and school-age (see Figure 21):
• The use zone in front of the access and to the sides of a slide should extend a minimum of 6 feet from the perimeter of the equipment. This recommendation does not apply to embankment slides or slides that are part of a composite structure (see §5.3.9).
• The use zone in front of the exit of a slide should never overlap the use zone of any other equipment; however, two or more slide use zones may overlap if their sliding paths are parallel.
• For slides less than or equal to 6 feet high, the use zone in front of the exit should be at least 6 feet.
• For slides greater than 6 feet high, the use zone in front of the exit should be at least as long as the slide is high up to a maximum of 8 feet.
5.3.6.6 Fall Height
The fall height for slides is the distance between the transition platform and the protective surfacing beneath it.
5.3.6.7 Entanglement Hazard
Children have suffered serious injuries and died by getting parts of their clothing tangled on protrusions or gaps on slides. To reduce the chance of clothing entanglement:
• Projections up to 3 inches in diameter should not stick up more than 1/8 inch from the slide.
• There should be no gaps at the tops of slides where the slide chute connects with the platform that can entangle clothing or strings.
• See Appendix B for full recommendations and details of the protrusion test procedure.
5.3.6.8 Other Sliding Equipment
Equipment where it is foreseeable that a primary use of the component is sliding should follow the same guidelines for entanglement that are in 5.3.6.7.