• Safety Guidelines
• ASTM
• CPSC
• ADA Guidelines

When it comes to purchasing playground equipment safety is the biggest concern. Our playground manufacturers meet or exceed the strict safety and structural guidelines set forth by the following organizations:

Playworld Systems is a member of the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association, a member-driven organization whose mission is to assist in providing safe environments for children to play in. In the interest of public playground safety, IPEMA provides a third party certification service whereby an independent testing laboratory validates a manufacturer's certification of conformance to the ASTM F1487-95 (excluding Sections 10 and 12.6.1) Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use, Standard. The use of the IPEMA Certification Logo signifies that the manufacturer has received written validation from the independent laboratory that the product associated with the use of the logo conforms with the requirements of ASTM F1487-95 (excluding Sections 10 and 12.6.1).

You should be sure to purchase only IPEMA-Certified equipment to assure that it meets official safety standards. Playworld Systems is proud to offer products that have received IPEMA certification.

To see a list of our certified products, visit the IPEMA web site at www.ipema.org.

To Contact IPEMA:
   International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association
   8300 Colesville Road, Suite 250
   Silver Spring, MD 20910
   Toll free: 800-395-5550
   Fax: 301-495-3330

ASTM

In addition to the CPSC guidelines, the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) also has developed voluntary performance and safety standards for most play equipment categories. ASTM is one of the largest voluntary standard-setting organizations in the world. In 1988 ASTM undertook a project to develop safety standards for Public Use Playground Equipment. A committee of over 120 professionals and consumers, dedicated to playground safety, worked on the development of this standard and, in December, 1993, ASTM Published F1487, Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use. In 1995, ASTM F1487-95 was published. ASTM measurements establish minimum acceptable performance specifications for everything from swings to play surfacing.

Visit ASTM's web site at: www.astm.org
To view a summery of ASTM Specification F1487-95 visit www.astm.org and enter the ASTM Store. Click on Search for Individual Standards. Type in F1487-95.

To Contact ASTM:
   American Society of Testing Materials
   1916 Race St.
   Philadelphia, PA 19103
   215-299-5585

CPSC

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) Handbook for Public Playground Safety serves as the reference for the entire playground industry. Originally developed in 1981, and revised in 1991 and 1994, the CPSC Handbook includes specifications for the use of play equipment and provides recommendations on age-related designs and play components. The CPSC Handbook should be a frequent reference tool during the planning process for any new play area. To review a copy of the Handbook for Public Playground Safety visit the CPSC web site at: www.cpsc.gov

To Contact CPSC:
   U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
   Washington, DC 20207
   800-638-2772

ADA Guidelines

The information below is a general guide to making your playground accessible. There is currently new proposed Accessibility Guidelines for Public Playgrounds circulating through Washington D.C. that, when approved, will apply to all public playgrounds in the U.S. The information below is a general outline of what the proposed law will cover, assuming it does not change significantly from its current wording.

What is the ADA?

Federal law passed in 1990 by 101st Congress and President George Bush. Prohibits discrimination against the disabled in areas intended for public use. Intent: to remove barriers which keep disabled people from participting in all aspects of our society.

Whose playgrounds are covered by the ADA?

How will new playgrounds be affected by the new ADA law?

You need to provide a path within the use zone connecting the play equipment to other paved surfaces. The path must be made of an accessible resilient material (such as rubber tiles, poured-in-place or ADA wood fiber) and be at least 60" (1.5m) in width.

Elevated Play Activities:

1. 1⁄2 of all elevated play components on a play structure must be accessible. To be ruled accessible, the play component must meet ADA guidelines for both the top and bottom ends of the activity. This includes an accessible route to the top of the activity with no step higher than 8", and an accessible surface from the bottom of the activity back to the entrance.
   

2. If there are 19 or fewer elevated play components, there must be access to 1⁄2 of the above mentioned, at least by a transfer point.
   

3. If there are 20 or more elevated play components, there must be access to at least 1/4 by wheelchair ramp. The other 1/4 may be reached by a transfer system to equal the 1⁄2 required in item #1 above.
   
   

Ground Level Play Activities:

1. Must provide accessible ground level play activities equal to 1⁄2 of the total of elevated play activities. This requires accessible surfacing route to and around the activity.
   

2. One of each type of ground level play activity must be accessible. (For example: if there are four swings, one of those swings must be accessible with appropriate accessible surfacing.)
   
   

Surfacing:

1. 1. To be ruled accessible, any surfacing must pass ASTM PS83 Surface Accessibility Test. Generally, these are limited to engineered wood fibar, rubber tiles or rubber poured-in-place. Consult the supplier for test data.
   

2. There must be an accessible route of travel to the play equipment.
   
   

When will the new ADA law take effect?

We do not know the exact dates, but feel that it will be sometime in the Summer or Fall of 1998. The proposed law is currently under review and there could be changes and revisions to the details outlined in Part 4 above.