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CONSUMER INFORMATION SHEET FOR
PLAYGROUND SURFACING MATERIALS
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that about 100,000 playground
equipment-related injuries resulting from falls to the ground surface are treated annually in U.S.
hospital emergency rooms. Injuries involving this hazard pattern tend to be among the most serious
of all playground injuries, and have the potential to be fatal, particularly when the injury is to the
head. The surface under and around playground equipment can be a major factor in determining the
injury-causing potential of a fall. It is self evident that a fall onto a shock absorbing surface is less
likely to cause a serious injury than a fall onto a hard surface. Playground equipment should never
be placed on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt and while grass may appear to be
acceptable it may quickly turn to hard packed earth in areas of high traffic. Shredded bark mulch,
wood chips, fine sand or fine gravel are considered to be acceptable shock absorbing surfaces
when installed and maintained at a sufficient depth under and around playground equipment.
The following table lists the maximum height from which a child would not be expected to sustain a
life-threatening head injury in a fall onto four different loose-fill surfacing materials if they are
installed and maintained at depths of 6, 9, and 12 inches. However, it should be recognized that all
injuries due to falls cannot be prevented no matter what surfacing material is used.
FALL HEIGHT IN FEET FROM WHICH A LIFE THREATENING HEAD INJURY
TYPE OF MATERIAL
Double Shredded Bark
Mulch
Wood Chips
Fine Sand
Fine Gravel
It is recommended that a shock absorbing material should extend a minimum of 6 feet in all
directions from the perimeter of stationary equipment such as climbers and slides. However,
because children may deliberately jump from a moving swing, the shock absorbing material should
extend in the front and rear of a swing a minimum distance of 2 times the height of the pivot point
measured from a point directly beneath the pivot on the supporting structure.
This information is intended to assist in comparing the relative shock-absorbing properties of various
material. No particular material is recommended over another. However, every material is only
effective when properly maintained. Materials should be checked periodically and replenished to
maintain correct depth as determined necessary for your equipment. The choice of a material
depends on the type and height of the playground equipment, the availability of the material in your
area, and its cost.
This information has been extracted from the CPSC publications "Playground Surfacing - Technical
Information Guide" and "Handbook for Public Playground Safety:" Copies of these reports can be
obtained by sending a postcard to the: Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission, Washington, D.C., 20207 or call the toll-free hot line: 1-800-638-2772.
WOULD NOT BE EXPECTED
6-INCH
DEPTH
6
6
5
6
4
9-INCH
DEPTH
10
7
5
7
12-INCH
DEPTH
11
12
9
10
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