Choosing the Correct Playset

Swings or swing sets are a popular play fixture found on most playgrounds throughout the world. Swings provide children with a fun-filled sensation as they glide to and fro on units made of steel or wood. In fact, swings have been around for many centuries and have been depicted in classical art throughout the ages. In early times, swings could be found hanging from tree limbs. Over the years, and with the formation of Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) guidelines, swings have evolved with safety in mind. Safety guidelines dictate that the swings fall zone (area free from other objects) shall be 2 times the height of the top in front and behind the swing. Given this fact, a swings fall zone occupies a large area. When selecting your swing, keep this fact in mind.

When selecting your swing, also consider the age of the child. The older the child, the higher the swing's top rail. The top rail height is measured from the ground to the cross bar that supports the swings. Also, as the age of the child increases, so too should the steel post diameter. Older children (classified as 5-12) and adults are easily accommodated on swings that feature a top rail of 3.5" O.D. at a height of 10-12'. Additionally, the swing should employ three support legs (called a Tripod) rather than a Bipod. The Tripod configuration will provide greater support and less motion when used by older children and adults.

A Bipod swing featuring a top rail measuring 2 3/8" O.D. with heights of 8' will accommodate younger children classified as 2-5 years of age. Single post swings provide a sleek look and are better suited for younger children.

The swing fall zone is a very important consideration. Equally important is the location of the swing set in relation to the other structures in the play environment. The CPSC recommends that swings be placed away from other play activities. Such placement is encouraged to reduce the chance of children crossing the path of the swing's motion arch. Many accidents occur when a child crosses the path of a swing in motion. Calculating a swing fall zone is very easy. In the back and forth area (swing motion-front and behind) you must maintain a space that is 2 x the height of the top rail. If the top rail is 10' tall, the space required is 20' in front and 20' behind for a total of 40'. In the side-to-side area, you follow the standard requirement of 6' on either side of the swing. If the swing is 20' wide, you add 6' feet to each side for a total of 32'. The total fall zone for the swing used in this example is 40' x 32'. This total area must have a safety surface that meets the CPSC requirements for impact attenuation.

Source: 2.5 Equipment Materials

Public Playground Safety Handbook - CPSC Publication 325

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

2.5.1 Durability and finish

• Use equipment that is manufactured and constructed only of materials that have a demonstrated record of durability in a playground or similar setting.

• Finishes, treatments, and preservatives should be selected carefully so that they do not present a health hazard to users.

2.5.2 Hardware

When installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions:

• All fasteners, connectors, and covering devices should not loosen or be removable without the use of tools.

• All fasteners, connectors, and covering devices that are exposed to the user should be smooth and should not be likely to cause laceration, penetration, or present a clothing entanglement hazard (see also §3.2 (of CPSC Pub. 325) and Appendix B).

• Lock washers, self-locking nuts, or other locking means should be provided for all nuts and bolts to protect them from detachment.

• Hardware in moving joints should also be secured against unintentional or unauthorized loosening.

• All fasteners should be corrosion resistant and be selected to minimize corrosion of the materials they connect. This is particularly important when using wood treated with ACQ/CBA/CA-B2 as the chemicals in the wood preservative corrode certain metals faster than others.

• Bearings or bushings used in moving joints should be easy to lubricate or be self-lubricating.

• All hooks, such as S-hooks and C-hooks, should be closed (see also §5.3.8.1 CPSC Pub 325). A hook is considered closed if there is no gap or space greater than 0.04 inches, about the thickness of a dime.

2.5.4 Paints and finishes

• Metals not inherently corrosion resistant should be painted, galvanized, or otherwise treated to prevent rust.

• The manufacturer should ensure that the users cannot ingest, inhale, or absorb potentially hazardous amounts of preservative chemicals or other treatments applied to the equipment as a result of contact with playground equipment.

• All paints and other similar finishes must meet the current CPSC regulation for lead in paint.

• Painted surfaces should be maintained to prevent corrosion and deterioration.

• Paint and other finishes should be maintained to prevent rusting of exposed metals and to minimize children playing with peeling paint and paint flakes.

• Older playgrounds with lead based paints should be identified and a strategy to control lead paint exposure should be developed. Playground managers should consult the October 1996 report, CPSC Staff Recommendations for Identifying and Controlling Lead Paint on Public Playground Equipment, while ensuring that all paints and other similar finishes meet the current CPSC regulation.3

2.5.5 Wood

• Wood should be either naturally rot and insect resistant(e.g., cedar or redwood) or should be treated to avoid such deterioration.

• Creosote-treated wood (e.g., railroad ties, telephone poles, etc) and coatings that contain pesticides

should not beused.

2.5.5.1 Pressure-treated wood

A significant amount of older playground wood was pres-sure-treated with chemicals to prevent damage from insects and fungi. Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) was a chemical used for decades in structures (including playgrounds).Since December 31, 2003, CCA-treated wood is no longer processed for use in playground applications. Other rot and insect resistant pressure treatments are available that do not contain arsenic; however, when using any of the new treated wood products, be sure to use hardware that is compatible with the wood treatment chemicals. These chemicals are known to corrode certain materials faster than others.

Existing playgrounds with CCA-treated wood

Various groups have made suggestions concerning the application of surface coatings to CCA-treated wood (e.g., stains and sealants) to reduce a child’s potential exposure to arsenic from the wood surface. Data from CPSC staff and EPA studies suggest that regular (at least once a year) use of an oil or water based, penetrating sealant or stain can reduce arsenic migration from CCA-treated wood. Installers, builders, and consumers who perform woodworking operations, such as sanding, sawing, or sawdust disposal, on pressure-treated wood should read the consumer information sheet available at the point of sale. This sheet contains important health precautions and disposal information.

When selecting wood products and finishes for public play-grounds, CPSC staff recommends:

• Avoid “film-forming” or non-penetrating stains (latex semi-transparent, latex opaque and oil-based opaque stains) on outdoor surfaces because peeling and flaking may occur later, which will ultimately have an impact on durability as well as exposure to the preservatives in the wood.

• Creosote, pentachlorophenol, and tributyl tin oxide are too toxic or irritating and should not be used as preservatives for playground equipment wood.

• Pesticide-containing finishes should not be used.

• CCA-treated wood should not be used as playground mulch.

2.6 Assembly and Installation

• Strictly follow all instructions from the manufacturer when assembling and installing equipment.

• After assembly and before its first use, equipment should be thoroughly inspected by a person qualified to inspect playgrounds for safety.

• The manufacturer’s assembly and installation instructions, and all other materials collected concerning the equipment, should be kept in a permanent file.

• Secure anchoring is a key factor to stable installation, and the anchoring process should be completed in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.