A Longitudinal Study of Playground Surfaces to Evaluate Accessibility - Final Report

Assumptions

Two industry standard specifications are used to determine the safety and accessibility of each surface: ASTM F1292‒99/04 Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment and ASTM F1951‒99 Standard Specification for Determination of Accessibility of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment.  Both specifications are written as laboratory tests.  For the purpose of this study, it was assumed that:

1. Playground surfaces selected for participation have documents indicating they have met the minimum specifications for ASTM F1292‒99/04 and ASTM F1951‒99 in a laboratory environment.

2. A Rotational Penetrometer can be used as a field instrument to determine firmness and stability for surfaces as they relate to accessibility.

3. A TRIAX 2000 can be used as a field instrument to determine impact attenuation.

4. Playground owners will be notified of evaluation results upon inspection and be given the opportunity to take corrective actions.