Playground Safety | Safer Play
Photo Credit: Pexels

At IPEMA, our mission is to improve playground safety. For years we have stressed the importance of playground safety by providing a third-party product certification program for public play equipment and surfacing materials. The members of IPEMA are playground and equipment surfacing manufacturers who believe playground safety is a vital component of their work. Playground safety has significantly improved over the past 25 years through the dedicated efforts of our members and other activists, and the playground safety standards established below have been crucial to this paradigm shift.

As authorities on the science of play, our work would be compromised without a dedication to ensuring the safest playground possible, though there is always an inherent risk to free play on playgrounds, we work to minimize this risk wherever possible.

Since the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued its first safety standards for playgrounds in 1981, playground equipment and surfacing have revolutionized. In order to cushion kids’ falls, hard surfaces such as concrete, asphalt and grass have been swapped for engineered wood-fiber, soft fiber and synthetic grass, reducing the risk of serious injury by a considerable degree. What many of us remember as “jungle gyms” or “monkey bars” have been replaced with innovative composite play systems, complex net and rock climbers and play systems rooted in educational exploration now.

IPEMA prides itself in taking a role in this ongoing transformation, because many of us are parents ourselves. We understand the importance and benefits of play that occur in our children’s development and value the security of knowing our kids are safer on the playground than has previously been possible.

Playground Safety | Children Playing on Playground

Playground Safety Standards

In the interest of public playground safety, IPEMA provides a third-party product certification program for public play equipment and surfacing materials. The services provide for the validation of a participant’s certification of conformance to one or more of the standards referenced below. TÜV SÜD America serves as the third-party validator for the program, helping to enhance playground safety through the following certifications.

Playground Safety | Kids Gathered on Climbing Apparatus

Photo Credit: Pexels

Playground Safety Certifications

  • ASTM F1487-21, excluding sections 7.1.1, 10, 11.2, 11.3, 13.1.1, 13.1.2, 13.2 and 13.3 – Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use
  • CAN/CSA-Z614:20 Update No. 1, excluding clauses 10 and 11 – Children’s Playspaces and Equipment
  • ASTM F1292-22 – Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surfacing Materials within the Use Zone of a Playground
  • ASTM F3351-19e1 – shock absorption properties of a playground surface at a specific impact height in order to evaluate a particular playground surfacing system using the g-max and HIC values described in Specification F1292
  • ASTM F2075-20 – Standard Specification for Engineered Wood Fiber for Use as a Playground Safety Surface Under and Around Playground Equipment
  • ASTM F3012-22– Standard Specification for Loose-Fill Rubber for Use as a Playground Safety Surface Under and Around Playground Equipment

To learn more about playground safety and certification standards please visit ipema.org.

Playground Safety: How Safe is Your Playground?

Ensuring playground safety is paramount for the health and well-being of children. Before letting your child play, it’s important to be aware of the safety measures and standards that have been put in place for that playground. Asking the right questions can help you assess a playground’s safety and ensure that it provides a secure environment for children to play, learn, and grow.

Top 10 Playground Safety Questions Everyone Should Ask

  1. Is the playground surface safe?
  2. Is there enough room underneath and around playground equipment?
  3. Is there enough space between the playground equipment?
  4. Is the playground appropriate for the child?
  5. Does the equipment put the child at risk from protruding objects?
  6. Does the playground equipment present a strangulation risk?
  7. Are there any moving parts that could pinch a child?
  8. Is there anything that might cause a child to trip?
  9. Is the playground well maintained?
  10. Has the playground been renovated since 1993?

After evaluating playground safety through these essential questions, it’s crucial to take action based on your findings. Whether it involves reporting safety concerns to local authorities or choosing a safer playground, your proactive steps can significantly contribute to creating a safer play environment for all children.

Playground Safety | IPEMA Certification Badge ASTM F1487
Playground Safety | IPEMA Certification Badge ASTM F2075
Playground Safety | IPEMA Certification Badge ASTM F3012
Playground Safety | IPEMA Certification Badge CAN/CSA-Z614
Playground Safety | IPEMA Certification Badge ASTM F1292
Playground Safety | IPEMA Certification Badge ASTM F3351