What Can Be Used for Protection on the Ground for Play Areas?

Over the last few decades, the face of public play areas has changed dramatically. With new safety regulations, public play area ground covering has evolved from cement and asphalt to layers of soft rubber or mulch to help prevent injuries when children fall off play equipment. While hard surfaces are no longer considered appropriate for playgrounds, a variety of materials can be used to help ensure the safest possible area for children to play.

Rubber Matting

• The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that all indoor and outdoor play areas incorporate ground cover materials that help absorb shock and impact from falls. Rubber matting is one material that helps soften a child's fall and may help prevent head injury in the event of a fall. Available from a variety of manufacturers, rubber matting is known as a unitary surface, which can be poured as a single slab at the playground site or installed in individual pieces at the site. Some, but not all, rubber matting materials are required to be installed over a hard surface. The manufacturer of the material will be able to provide installation guidelines and impact reduction standards of each type of matting. Some types of matting also require professional installation, depending on the type and size of the ground cover project.

Shredded Rubber

• Like rubber matting, shredded rubber provides a measure of impact reduction, but is known as loose-fill surfacing material. According to the USCPSC, shredded rubber, installed at proper depth, will provide protection from a fall of up to 10 feet.

Sand

• The fall protection from playground equipment is greatly decreased when rubber isn't used for ground cover, particularly when sand is used. Sand will only help protect against fall injuries from a fall of up to 4 feet. Sand is also prone to overheating when exposed to direct sunlight, which may lead to burn injuries for children who use the play area.

Pea Gravel

• Like sand, pea gravel does not offer the best protection against injuries when a child falls from play area equipment. While slightly more effective than sand, pea gravel is only effective for impacts from falls up to 5 feet in height.

Wood Mulch

• Next to rubber materials, wood mulch provides the most effective injury protection for playground equipment. Though playground wood mulch appears to be the same as standard landscaping mulch, playground wood chips should never be chemically treated or shaped with sharp edges or points. Wood mulch will provide protection from a fall of up to 7 feet.

Loose-fill Guidelines

• The minimum USCPSC guidelines for any loose-fill material on playground surfaces is 9 inches. Anything less than that depth greatly increases the risk of injury when a child falls to the surface. Loose-fill materials will decompose about 25 percent over time and requires regular maintenance to maintain maximum effectiveness. Loose-fill materials should also include a perimeter barrier to help prevent displacement. Swings and slides are especially prone to displacement and should be filled at a greater depth and monitored closely for depth and displacement. Loose-fill materials should be installed over a hard surface like cement or asphalt, along with a layer of geotextile cloth to help aid in proper water drainage.