Playground Safety Resource Document Links

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Links to documents hosted outside of this website

All of the document links on this page link directly to its source host. We do not host the content or control it in any way, which means it may be subject to changes, revisions, or relocation, from time to time by the respective website host.

These links are provided to consolidate a number of resources all in one place. In all cases, clicking on the links in bold text will open up in a new browser window, just in case you want to open more than one. These are many of the resources utilized for the information on this website, and serve as easily accessible documents for your reference. In some cases, registration or purchase may be required (products & services such as assessment kits, ASTM standards and certain reports).

If you would like to see news articles written and hosted by this website, please visit our News page.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) playground safety publications

For a good overview of all CPSC publications on playground safety, click on the first link, which will open a new window with that page on the CPSC website. For residential playgrounds, check out Pub 324 or the Home Playground Safety Checklist, and there's also the CPSC's 2001 report on home playground deaths & injuries. There are two useful documents for public playgrounds, Pub 325, and Doc 327, which is a quick and useful reference for checking out the safety compliance of any U.S. public playground.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) playground safety publications

Below are a few resources on playground safety directly from the CDC. Of particular interest may be the coloring book, "Color Me Safe," which is available on the CDC website in both English and Spanish, in PDF format.

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National Safety Council

The links below include a great 2-page PDF file of playground safety recommendations, with an easy 10-step checklist.

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SafeKids USA playground safety publications

SafeKids USA is a nationwide network of organizations working to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability for children ages 1 to 14. Below are a links to a few of their documents available online on their website.

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National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS)

Since 1995, the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) has been the leader in research, training, and development of S.A.F.E. play areas in the nation! NPPS' mission is to help the public create safe and developmentally appropriate play environments for children.

  • Research: Injuries - Playground injury data and statistics research (HTML)
  • S.A.F.E. - Perhaps the best acronym to remember for playground safety, with an educational video (HTML)
  • Assessment Kits - Child care and school assessment kits for outdoor play environments (for sale online)
  • State Proclamations - Interactive U.S. map of states proclaiming Playground Safety Week on April 23-27, 2012 (HTML)

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ASTM safety & testing standards

Jump to a specific ASTM specification or testing standard on the ASTM website by clicking in the list below on the number you wish, which will open a new browser window with it.

Only ASTM International provides authorized copies of its specifications and testing standards, and any party offering copies for free are doing so illegally and violating ASTM's rights. In addition, the information provided by any party other than ASTM may be altered and not reliable. Please obtain your copy of any ASTM specification or testing standard desired or required directly from ASTM.

  • F355 - Test Method for Shock-Absorbing Properties of Playing Surface Systems and Materials
  • F963 - Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety
  • F1148 - Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Home Playground Equipment
  • F1292 - Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surfacing Materials Within the Use Zone of Playground Equipment
  • F1487 - Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use
  • F1816 - Standard Safety Specification for Drawstrings on Children's Upper Outerwear
  • F1918 - Safety Performance Specification for Soft Contained Play Equipment
  • F1951 - Specification for Determination of Accessibility of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment
  • F2049 - Standard Safety Performance Specification for Fences/Barriers for Public, Commercial, and Multi-Family
    Residential Use Outdoor Play Areas
  • F2075 - Specification for Engineered Wood Fiber for Use as a Playground Safety Surface Under and Around
    Playground Equipment
  • F2088 - Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Infant Swings
  • F2373 - Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Public Use Play Equipment for Children
    6 Months through 23 Months
  • F2479 - Guide for Specification, Purchase, Installation and Maintenance of Poured-In-Place Playground Surfacing

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Canadian Association of Playground Practitioners (CAPP)

Apparently, the Canadian Association of Playground Practitioners (CAPP) is no longer available as an online resource. However, we've archived some useful documents in PDF format for your review, because it remains relevant as an archived informational resource.

The links below takes you directly to a couple of excellent historical CAPP documents, archived within this website.

  • CAPP Probability of Head Injury Relative to HIC (Head Injury Criteria) Scores
    This great document charts out the statistical probability for rated categories of injuries to be expected based on HIC scores under the current playground fall safety standards. (PDF)
  • Impact Attenuation Values and Prevention of Head Injuries in Children’s Playgrounds
    Authored by Rolf Huber, B. Comm., Canadian Playground Advisory Inc., July 2011. An extremely well written and comprehensive analysis of playground fall safety standards as they relate to NHTSA results published in 1999 and 2000 effectively proving the old HIC thresholds are proven unsafe, creating significantly updated thresholds by age group, and the author addresses the important question, "Do Children Deserve the Same or Better Protection than in an Automobile Crash?" (PDF)

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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

The link below takes you when the NHTSA recommends lower HIC scores based on age group, with new standard thresholds where Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or deather are likely to occur, referenced within this website. These recommendations were adopted in a March 2000 report, that resulted in vehicles adding better side head impact protection to maintain their 5 star safety ratings. The playground industry has chosen to ignore it completely, for well over 20 years now.

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