Insurance Tips: Home Playground Safety Tips (continued) 

2. Use Zones - A use zone, covered with a protective surfacing material, is essential under and around equipment where a child might fall. This area should be free of other equipment and obstacles onto which a child might fall.
   
   Stationary climbing equipment and slides should have a use zone extending a minimum of 6' in all directions from the perimeter of the equipment.
   
   Swings should have a use zone extending a minimum of 6' from the outer edge of the support structure on each side. The use zone in front and back of the swing should extend out a minimum distance of twice the height of the swing as measured from the ground to the swing hangers on support structure.
   
   
3. Swing Spacing - To prevent injuries from impact with moving swings, swings should not be too close together or too close to support structures. Swing spacing should be:
   
   
   • At least 8 inches between suspended swings and between a swing and the support frame.
   • At least 16 inches from suing support frame to a pendulum see- saw.
   • Minimum clearance between the ground and underside of swing seat should be 8 inches.
   • Swing sets should be securely anchored.
   
   
4. Elevated Surfaces - Platforms more than 30" above the ground should have guard rails to prevent falls.
   
   
5. Potential Head Entrapment Hazards - In general, openings that are closed on all sides, should be less than 3 1/2" or greater than 9". Openings that are between 3' 1/2" and 9" present a head entrapment hazard because they are large enough to permit a child's body to go through, but are too small to permit the head to go through. When children enter such openings, feet first, they may become entrapped by the head and strangle.
   
   
6. Potential Entrapment and Strangulation Hazards - Open "S" hooks, especially on swings, and any protrusions or equipment component/hardware which may act as hooks or catch-points can entangle with children's clothing and cause strangulation incidents. Close "S" hooks as tightly as possible and eliminate protrusions or catch-points on playground equipment.
   
   
7. Pinch or Crush Points - There should be no exposed moving parts which may present a pinching or crushing hazard.
   
   
8. Playground Maintenance - Playgrounds should be inspected on a regular basis. Inspect protective surfacing, especially mulch, and maintain the proper depth. If any of the following conditions are noted, they should be removed, corrected, or repaired immediately to prevent injuries:
   
   
   • Hardware is loose or worn, or has protrusions or projections.
   • Ropes and items with cords placed around the neck can get caught on playground equipment and strangle a child. Many children have died when a rope they were wearing got caught on playground equipment or they became entangled in a rope.
   • Supervise and teach your child safe play. Teach your child not to walk or play close to a moving swing and not to tie ropes to playground equipment.
   • Exposed equipment footings.
   • Scattered debris, litter, rocks, or tree roots.
   • Rust and chipped paint on metal components.
   • Splinters, large cracks, and decayed wood components.
   • Deterioration and corrosion on structural components which connect to the ground.
   • Missing or damaged equipment components, such as handholds, guard rails, swing seats.
   
   For more information on playground safety, refer to CPSC's Handbook for Public Playground Safety Consumers can obtain this publication and additional publication information from the Publications section of CPSC's web site.
   Consumer Product Safety Commission - CPSC Document #323