Skip to main content
  • Directory
  • Magazine
  • Contributors
Playground Professionals
Play and Playground News and Views

Main navigation

  • Playground
  • Surfaces
  • Parks and Recreation
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Playground
  3. Playground Safety
  4. Playground Safety and ASTM

Playground Safety and ASTM

Playground Safety
June 01, 2004
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
By Playground Magazine on
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print
893

Just where are we going with today’s playground safety? Throughout the playground industry, the issue of safe playgrounds has always been a priority topic and naturally so. Having fun in a safe environment is the whole reason for playgrounds, is it not? But there are those who would argue that as the safety regulations increase, the fun-factor of a playground decreases. In addition to having fun, playgrounds challenge children to explore their limits both physically and socially, while improving their agility and strength. Let’s face it, to a kid, playing on a playground is the most perfect of activities. But, what happens to that experience when the equipment is unsafe or a child plays in an unsafe manner leading to a serious, life-threatening or fatal injury? 

Is it possible that states adopting the CPSC Handbook for Public Playground Safety as mandatory on public playgrounds will stifle the playground adventures for the kids of today and tomorrow? Or, will playgrounds become less imaginative and less creative because they’re restricted by the American Standard for Testing Materials (ASTM) that continues to develop and set forth standards for design issues not directly related to safety? Has ASTM has moved beyond their original focus of eliminating life-threatening injury? Have they taken safety too far?

ASTM was founded in 1898 and is known internationally as one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations. They provide a source for technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services. ASTM became involved in the playground industry in 1986 as a task group for creating a playground surface standard. In 1988 ASTM developed a set of standards for public playgrounds and play areas. With the CPSC injury statistics as their guideline, the ASTM published a new standard for surfacing to measure impact attenuation and therefore reduce the number of fatal head injuries sustained on playgrounds. Since the late 80s, ASTM has published and updated five standards relating to playground surfacing, one “Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use – F1487-01e1”, and one standard for home playground equipment.

The published mission of ASTM is “to be the foremost developer and provider of voluntary consensus standards, related technical information, and services having internationally recognized quality and applicability that promote public health and safety, and the overall quality of life; contribute to the reliability of materials, products, systems, and services; and facilitate national, regional, and international commerce.”

The ASTM focus related to the playground industry is “to reduce life-threatening and debilitating injuries.” The ASTM draws on many safety experts to assist in the development of their safety standards. Although the standards are voluntary, most manufacturers, builders, and playground owners abide by them. In some states, California, Texas, Connecticut for example, it has become mandatory for all public playgrounds to meet CPSC and ASTM playground safety standards. The trend could lead to more states following suit.

The automobile industry is a good example of what can happen when standards are made mandatory. Every state in the nation has adopted some kind of seat belt/car seat law. Some are more stringent than others. Although their use has become mandatory, many people continue to question their necessity and some still do not use them. But, non-users are aware that seat belts exist and they are aware of the consequences involved in their decision not to use them. Requiring the use of seat belts and car seats was born out of the injury statistics from automobile crashes. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, car seat use reduces the risk of death for a child in a car accident by 77 percent.

Playground Safety and ASTM

And so it is with playground injury-related statistics that support the increase in playground safety standards. Most websites related to playground safety, childhood safety, or injury prevention mentions the CPSC 1999/2000 report on Playground Injury Statistics. Statistics offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics are familiar to our ears:  

  • 147 playground-related deaths in 10 years
  • In 1999, there were an estimated 205,850 equipment-related injuries treated in US hospital emergency rooms. Of that number,
  • 156,040 were injuries sustained on public playgrounds; that is…
  • 425 daily injuries in the US on public playgrounds
  • 5-9 year olds or school-aged children had the largest portion of these injuries.
  • 45% of them occurred at schools
  • 31% of them at public parks
  • 53% of them occurred on climbers
  • 79% of these injuries were falls from on public equipment

Have these statistics decreased in the last five years since this report? Many playground professionals would like to know whether their efforts to improve safety at playgrounds are working. At this time the only comparison we have is a similar study done by the CPSC in 1988 and published in 1990. A comparison of the two studies shows an increase in some of the injury percentages and a decrease in others. The CPSC proposes possible changes in equipment styles and increases in after-school and daycare programs as the reason for the lack of a noticeable decrease in overall injuries. See pages 22-25 of the CPSC April 2001, Special Study: Injury and Death Associated with Children and Playground Equipment for more details. 

Most of the playground industry’s attention to the ASTM safety standards and playground safety, in general, has occurred in the last 10 years. These changes include entire educational programs run by universities, equipment manufacturers, national trade associations and private enterprise. Subjects taught include safety awareness for children, equipment hazard identification for playground owners and maintenance personnel and training for playground supervisors and parents. Entire certification programs dedicated to specific aspects of playground safety. These are all steps in a worthy direction—improved safety for the users.

Some people may require a new study to reinforce that the safety standards are indeed effective. Others are happy to err on the side of caution; especially where children are concerned, and follow the only nationally recognized playground safety standards our industry has at this time, those by the ASTM. Thankfully, injury statistics begot bicycle helmets, car seats, life preservers, airbags, smoke detectors and let’s face it: safer playgrounds. So as the adage goes…“better safe than sorry.”

Read more articles

Older
5 Must-Have Things When Boating with Kids

Add new comment

About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
Playground Magazine
893
3
min read
A- A+
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print

  • Picture
    Profile picture for user Playground Magazine

    Playground Magazine

    Thinking Today About Tomorrow's Play™ The only magazine that is 100% dedicated to the Playground Industry

    Author profile »

Read More In Playground Safety

  • Dec 01, 2006
    Playground Safety

    Waivers for Play? Hopefully not in our future

    Playground Magazine
  • Jul 01, 2003
    Playground Safety

    Play Hard with Soft Contained Playgrounds?

    Playground Magazine
  • Oct 01, 2005
    Playground Safety

    Slyde into Safety

    Playground Magazine
  • Playground
    Sep 29, 2015
    Playground Safety

    Hazard Based Approach to Standards Development: The time is now - Part 3

    Kenneth Kutska
  • Oct 01, 2006
    Playground Safety

    Are We Fear-Based?

    Playground Magazine
  • May 01, 2001
    Playground Safety

    The Wrong Kind of Hanging Around

    Playground Magazine
  • Child barefoot in grass near playground
    Jan 28, 2020
    Playground Safety

    Why Wear Good Footwear When Playing On Playground Equipment?

    Michael Sorlie
  • boy climbing on clean playground equipment
    Jan 19, 2021
    Playground Safety

    The First Antimicrobial Coating for Commercial Playgrounds

    Todd Brinker

Subscribe to Play & Playground

Sponsored Spotlights

Playground

  • Playstructures
  • Inclusion
  • Adventure Playgrounds
  • Fund Raising
  • Playground Safety
  • Playground Construction
  • Maintenance & Inspection
  • Swing Sets
  • Residential
  • Climbing Walls
  • Theme
  • Indoor
  • Recycled
  • Nature Play
  • Nets and Ropes
  • Musical

Surfaces

  • Loose Fill
  • Rubber
  • Artificial Turf
  • Sports Court
  • Surfacing Maintenance

Athletics

  • Sports Equipment
  • Outdoor Exercise
  • Fitness and Exercise
  • Bleachers

Parks and Recreation

  • Parks Administration
  • Landscape
  • Benches
  • Outdoor Tables
  • Trash Receptacles
  • Bike Racks
  • Drinking Fountain
  • Playground Lighting
  • Shelters
  • Shade Structures
  • Restrooms
  • Dog Park
  • Skatepark

Aquatics

  • Spray Parks
  • Surf Parks
  • Water Safety
  • Pool
  • Water Slides

Play

  • Amusement Park
  • School and Education
  • Toys
  • Parenting
  • Bullying
  • Health and Safety
  • Games and Gaming
  • Inflatables
  • Arts and Crafts
Playground Professionals
Play and Playground News and Views

Follow Us

Play and playground news and information since 2001

  • instagram
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • linkedin

Company

  • Advertise
  • Submit Business
  • Subscribe

Copyright © 2001 - 2021 Playground Professionals, LLC

Footer menu

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions