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CONSUMER INFORMATION SHEET FOR
PLAYGROUND SURFACING MATERIALS
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that about 100,000 playground
equipment-related injuries resulting from falls to the ground surface are treated annually in U.S. hospital emergency
rooms. Injuries involving this hazard pattern tend to be among the most serious of all playground injuries, and have
the potential to be fatal, particularly when the injury is to the head. The surface under and around playground
equipment can be a major factor in determining the injury-causing potential of a fall. It is self evident that a fall onto
a shock absorbing surface is less likely to cause a serious injury than a fall onto a hard surface. Playground
equipment should never be placed on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt and while grass may appear to be
acceptable it may quickly turn to hard packed earth in areas of high traffic. Shredded bark mulch, wood chips, fine
sand or fine gravel are considered to be acceptable shock absorbing surfaces when installed and maintained at a
sufficient depth under and around playground equipment.
The following table lists the maximum height from which a child would not be expected to sustain a life-
threatening head injury in a fall onto four different loose-fill surfacing materials if they are installed and maintained
at depths of 6, 9, and 12 inches. However, it should be recognized that all injuries due to falls cannot be prevented
no matter what surfacing material is used.
FALL HEIGHT IN FEET FROM WHICH A LIFE THREATENING HEAD INJURY
WOULD NOT BE EXPECTED
TYPE OF MATERIAL 6-INCH DEPTH 9-INCH DEPTH 12-INCH DEPTH
Double Shredded Bark
Mulch
6 10 11
Wood Chips . . 6 7 12
Fine Sand 5 5 9
Fine Gravel 6 7 10
It is recommended that a shock absorbing material should extend a minimum of 6 feet in all directions from
the perimeter of stationary equipment such as climbers and slides. However, because children may deliberately
jump from a moving swing, the shock absorbing material should extend in the front and rear of a swing a minimum
distance of 2 times the height of the pivot point measured from a point directly beneath the pivot on the supporting
structure.
This information is intended to assist in comparing the relative shock-absorbing properties of various
material. No particular material is recommended over another. However, every material is only effective when
properly maintained. Materials should be checked periodically and replenished to maintain correct depth as
determined necessary for your equipment. The choice of a material depends on the type and height of the
playground equipment, the availability of the material in your area, and its cost.
'This information has been extracted from the CPSC publications "Playground Surfacing - Technical Information Guide"
and "Handbook for Public Playground Safety:' Copies of these reports can be obtained by sending a postcard to the: Office of
Public Affairs, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C., 20207 or call the toll-free hot line: 1-800-638-
2772.
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