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
The following table lists the maximum height from which a child would not be expected to sustain a
FALL HEIGHT IN FEET FROM WHICH A LIFE THREATENING HEAD INJURY
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| WOULD NOT BE EXPECTED |
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TYPE OF MATERIAL | ||||
Double Shredded Bark | 6 | 10 | 11 | |
Mulch |
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Wood Chips | . . | 6 | 7 | 12 |
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Fine Sand |
| 5 | 5 | 9 |
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Fine Gravel |
| 6 | 7 | 10 |
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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
'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
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