PlayWellPlayWell

Safety First!

• ASTM

  The American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTMI) is the scientific and technical organization chiefly responsible for developing standards for testing different materials. In 1993, the ASTMI published Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specifications for Playground Equipment for Public Use, designated as F1487. It is this standard that establishes minimum acceptable performance specifications for everything from swings to surfacing. For more information, contact ASTMI at 610.832.9585 or visit ASTMI online at www.astm.org.

• CPSC

  The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government whose purpose is to inform the public of risks associated with consumer products. The CPSC's Handbook for Public Playground Safety is the key reference tool for the playground industry, including specifications for the use of play equipment and recommendations concerning age-related designs and play components. The CPSC can be reached in Washington, D.C., at 800.638.2772 or online at www.cpsc.gov.

• IPEMA

  Playworld Systems is a founding member of the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA), a member-driven organization whose mission is to assist in providing safe environments for children to play. In the interest of playground safety, IPEMA provides a Third Party Certification service whereby a designated independent laboratory, Detroit Testing Laboratory, Inc. (DTL), validates a participant's certification of conformance to the following standards:
  • ASTMI standard F1487, Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specifications for Playground Equipment for Public Use
  • CAN/CSA Z614, Guideline on Children's Play Spaces and Equipment
  • ASTM F1292-99, Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation Under and Around Playground Equipment
  

• ADA Guidelines

  The guidelines for play areas add a new section (15.6) to the Board's ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), which cover access to the built environment in new construction and alterations. This section addresses only those play areas that are newly built or altered. (Generally, existing facilities, while subject to certain ADA requirements, are not addressed by ADAAG except where altered). The guidelines provide scoping requirements, which indicate what is to be accessible, and technical requirements, which explain how to achieve access. The guidelines cover play areas provided at schools, parks, child care facilities (except those based in the operator's home, which are exempt), and other facilities subject to the ADA. Click here for more information