6.2.2.4: Clearance Requirements of Playground Areas

Playgrounds should be laid out to ensure clearance in accordance with the ASTM standards “F2373-08: Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Public Use Play Equipment for Children 6 Months through 23 Months” and “F1487-07ae1: Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use” and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Public Playground Safety Handbook.

Equipment should be situated so that clearance space, called use zones, allocated to one piece of equipment does not encroach on that of another piece of equipment.

RATIONALE

Ample space to enable movement around and use of equipment also helps to restrict the number of pieces of equipment within the play area, thus preventing overcrowding and reducing the potential for injury (1-3).

TYPE OF FACILITY

Center, Early Head Start, Head Start, Large Family Child Care Home, Small Family Child Care Home

RELATED STANDARDS

6.2.2.1 Use Zone for Fixed Play Equipment
6.2.2.3 Location of Moving Play Equipment
Appendix HH: Use Zones and Clearance Dimensions for Single-and Multi-Axis Swings

REFERENCES

1. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). 2008. Public playground safety handbook. Bethesda, MD: CPSC. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/325.pdf.
2. ASTM International (ASTM). 2008. Standard consumer safety performance specification for public use play equipment for children 6 months through 23 months. ASTM F2373-08. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
3. ASTM International (ASTM). 2007. Standard consumer safety performance specification for playground equipment for public use. ASTM F1487-07ae1. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.