Playground Advisory

5 surface. Many manufactures make the least cost choice with owners finding that failure of ASTM F1292 testing places them with liability and non-compliance with the ADA, an em- barrassing shutdown of the playground and an expensive replacement. Beyond impact attenuation, elimination of other hazards needs to be considered in the design of the system. These will include, but are not limited to toxins, sharps and other hazardous materials. Toxins and sharps have long been un- derstood to be undesirable as they might be skin absorbed or consumed should a child choose to do so. Sharps are a con- cern for tetanus and when there is a puncture that results in blood being left in the playground, participants may now be exposed to a biohazard. Additionally should a child consume a particle of the playground surface that contains exposed sharp metal this could cause havoc with their digestive sys- tem. For this reason the Engineered Wood Fibre Standard, ASTM F2075, does not allow for any tamp metal to be within the product and the proposed Poured-in-Place performance standard, while allowing ¼” exposed wire in the base cushion, the upper bound wear layer cannot contain any exposed steel and must be at least ⅜” thick to prevent exposure of the cushion layer to children. Other toxins, such as heavy metals, including lead, mercury and other known contaminants can be tested for. A list of contaminants and allowable levels should be available within federal, state or local require- ments. This would also extend to lead limits for children un- der the age of 12 as set out by the US CPSC. One concern in designing products using recycled compo- nents are toxins that could have been placed in the products as part of the original manufacturing process or toxins that could have attached or bonded themselves to the product during the first life of the product. This is a concern for wood systems that use recycled wood materials as these might have had paints, stains or other preservatives placed on them during their life or as in the case of pallets, been subjected to spills. One notable lead contamination is from testing performed on products made from recycled tires that were removed from the road prior to the 1970’s when lead was a part of engine exhaust. In this case there was a transfer of the lead on the roads to the tire tread. For these reasons the system designer should test for known contaminants and those that might be reasonably expected to have come into contact with their raw materials. Maintenance of Surfacing Since the playground surface must meet all of the performance requirements set out in ASTM F1292, CSA Z614, ASTM F1487 and other federal, state and local requirements and since no product stays as it was when originally installed, a maintenance procedure and program must be in place. Specifically ASTM F1487, section 13.2.1 requires “The owner/operator shall maintain the protective surfacing within the use zone of each play structure in accordance with Specification F 1292 appro- priate for the fall height of each structure and Specification F 1951 where applicable ” and section 13.2.2 requires “The owner/operator shall maintain the protective surfacing within the use zone of each play structure free from extraneous mate- rials that could cause injury, infection, or disease. In Canada, the CSA Z614 considers both the maintenance program and the cost of such a program with the following “Playground inspec- tion and maintenance are integral parts of budgetary costing . The cost of inspection and maintenance shall be considered and incorporated into the budget at the time of design, pur- chase of equipment, and installation.” Clearly the owner/operator will need and conversely the man- ufacturer must provide the maintenance instructions to allow the surface system to be maintained to its original condition and in a manner that will allow continued conformance with standards that the manufacture states in literature, the inter- net, trade shows and/or Standards compliance test certificates. Failure to provide the appropriate maintenance could likely lead to premature failure, liability, penalties and/or premature replacement. Having these maintenance costs might lead to the owner/operator to determine that the system is not finan- cially feasible and another system will be selected. For loose fill materials, maintenance can include loosening, re- grading, topping up and even the removal and/or replacement of the entire system. The ADAAG and the CSA Z614, Annex H, state that regular maintenance will be expected, required and must be performed to ensure that the accessible route will continuously meet the performance requirements of both ASTM F1292 and ASTM F1951 and all other aspects of the physical measurements of the relevant laws. All of these