Playground Guide - 2017 - 15

sponsibility to create spaces that embrace the many different
types of play experiences. This is best done when designers
provide play opportunities with graduated levels of challenge
offering various levels of risk. A well-designed play space provides an environment that facilitates a child's development
during self-directed free play. Equally as important is the responsibility for the safety of children when they overestimate
or miscalculate their ability.

Risk Assessment
Many owners/operators choose to work with outside consultants on the design, installation and inspection of equipment.
However, even with this contractual transfer of risk, the agency
still has the primary responsibility for the safety of the public.
As stewards of public facilities, we need to consider all aspects
of managing this generally unsupervised public environment.
Many children usually are not adequately supervised, so the
biggest challenge for playground designers, manufacturers and
owners throughout North America is the liability costs associated with almost any injury, regardless of the severity. What
needs to change is the general public's belief that parks are responsible for every child's broken arm or leg.

New Scoping Statement on Assessing Risk
The following information has been added in Section 1: Scope
of the 2017 Standard, which now states in 1.6.1:
The requirements in this standard are designed to mitigate the hazards typically presented by various types of equipment. New equipment may not specifically fit into the designated types listed in the
standard; however, the designer and/or manufacturer shall use professional judgment to perform and document a hazard analysis and
follow appropriate requirements to mitigate the hazards.
The following definition for " professional judgement, " along
with requirements for any person who claims the playground
equipment is in compliance with this standard, is directly related to this statement:
'Professional judgment' is defined as: The ability of an individual
with current knowledge, skill or experience, or both, in the field of
playgrounds/playground equipment design, use or operations, which
enables the person to form an opinion or make a decision, or both,
concerning a matter within that field of expertise.
" Section 5: General Requirements, states: Playground equipment represented as complying with this consumer safety performance
specification shall meet all applicable requirements specified herein.
Anyone representing compliance with this specification shall keep such
essential records as are necessary to document any claim that the requirements within this specification have been met. "
Considering these three statements, you can begin to understand the responsibilities of every party involved in creating a

playground, from concept through the day the playground is
taken out of service. Owners/operators should not and cannot totally abdicate their responsibility for the public's safety.
They need to understand their responsibility and that of others
involved in the design, manufacture, installation, inspection,
maintenance and repair of a playground.

Addition to Specific Equipment
Performance Requirements
Some of the more common terms used in this new standard
can lead to confusion. For example, the last revision of this
Standard redefined what a swing was and established the swing
suspended component impact test, which addressed several
safety concerns. The result has been the development of many
new types of swinging experiences. Let's look at two new definitions and a few of the new performance requirements for
" Embankment Slide " and " Rotating Equipment. "
New Embankment Slide Definition
Embankment slides have become more popular as designers
attempt to minimize fall heights and the related surfacing requirements within the use zone. An embankment slide must
follow the contour of the ground and at no point can the
bottom of the slide chute be greater than 12 inches from the
surrounding ground surface. The slide transition or entry
platform may also be up to 12 inches above the surface and
does not have use zone requirements. Even though the slide
is no more than a foot off the underlying surface and the slide
exit height cannot be greater than 15 inches above the exit
surface, it still requires impact attenuating surfacing within
the slide exit use zone.
The fall height, as it relates to protective surfacing requirements of an embankment slide, has been an area of concern
for some time. Why does a free-standing slide have a fall height

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Parks & Recreation

Playground Guide - 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Playground Guide - 2017