Equipment Inspection Flashcards
Stepping Forms
10” minimum diameter
2-5:
Cannot exceed 20” high
Must be stationary
Less than or equal to 12” distance between
5-12:
Cannot exceed 30” high.
Over 30” high must be stationary
Less than or equal to 18” distance between
Unless hand supports: must be 22-38” above stepping surface
Balance Beams
2-5: 12” max beam height
5-12: 16” max beam height
No trip hazards
Sliding Poles
Must extend 60” above platform
Pole distance from platform = 18-20”
Max pole diameter - 1.9”
Not recommended for 2 - 5
Reach requirements apply only to sliding poles - no foot supports or handgrip devices that provide platform & ground access / egress.
Track Rides
Not recommended for 2 - 5
Must meet performance criteria for upper body components
Must meet criteria for handgripping
Platforms not required.
Track Ride Platforms
Min depth - 36”
Min width - 32”
Max height - 36” for 5-12
Track Rides Special Considerations
Clearance from handgrip to surfacing:
78’ max
64’ min
Enclosed track is exempt from crush & shear
Adjacent tracks sep. by 48” min center - center
No obstructions along entire length of travel.
Swings
An element or seat suspended from an elevated support structure that allows users to move freely in 1 or more planes and possesses a pivot point greater than 24” when measured vertically from the top of the suspended element to the pivot point.
Locate away from other play structures
Not attached to composite play structure
Support structure designed to discourage climbing
Hangers have bearings, bushings, or means of reducing friction and wear.
Suspended elements smoothly finished w/ blunt or rounded edges.
Suspended elements shall not impart a peak acceleration greater than 100 g’s and shall have an HIC score less than or equal to 500
Exemption: Components greater than or equal to 84” above the protective surfacing at lowest point.
To & Fro Single Axis Swing
Swing Splay = greater than or equal to 20” between swing hangers.
Under-seat Clearance (when occupied)
Open: Greater than or equal to 12”
Enclosed Seats: Greater than or equal to 24”
Critical Swing Clearances (when seat is occupied)
Chain clearance dimensions are measured at 60” above surfacing
Frame - 1st swing chain = 30” min clearance
Chains of adjacent swings = 24” min clearance
Multiple Axis (Rotating) Swing
12” min clearance - bottom of seat to surfacing
Y=vertical distance from pivot point to stop of seat
Clearance Zone = Y + 30” in all directions horizontally from pivot point, then vertically to the surfacing forming a cylinder (3d space must be clear of all obstacles)
Combination Swings
Swings w/ multiple motions consisting of a combo of single axis and/or multiple axis.
Clearance Zone: 30” in between structure & suspended element
Under-Seat Clearance: open seats =12” min.
Swing Bays
No more than 2 suspended elements in a bay
Only 1 multiple occupancy suspended element
Exempt: Single axis suspended components for a max of 2 users
Climbers
Many kinds
Made of many kinds of materials
Some attached to equip, some freestanding, some built into landscape
CPSC recommends climbers have no climbing bars or rigid structural components in the interior of the climbers onto which a child could fall from a heigh of greater than 18”.
Upper Body Equipment
An overhead device designed to support a child by the hands only.
Requirements vary based on age group - 4 years & up only
3D Climbing Net Structures
Mesh structures: No clear opening between flex members w a vertical dimension of 72” and a diameter of
18” - 2-5
20” - 5-12
Flex components used as handgripping components between .62 -1.55” diameter
Horizontal Ladders
Max Height:
2-5: 60”
5-12: 84”
Wheelchair: 54”
Distance between rungs:
Greater than or equal to 9” for all ages
Not greater than or equal to 12” for 2-5 (rungs parallel and evenly spaced)
Not greater than or equal to 15” for 5-12
Horizontal Rung Access
First handhold must be 8-10” from access rung.
When access by platform, first handhold must be 0-10” from leading edge of platform.
.95-1.55” diameter
Cannot turn or rotate on their own axis.
Slides
Must meet guardrail & barrier requirements from slide elevation
Transition area = at least 14” deep, as wide as slide chute at top entry.
Constructed to provide continuous sliding surface
2 Slide Safety Zones
Non-Entanglement Zone: hazard is entanglement of clothing on a projection
Clearance Zone: Hazard is child impacting an adjacent component or sep. piece of equip.
Slide Non-Entanglement Zone
No projections are acceptable in this space that:
Fit inside large projection gauge &
Extend from perpendicular from its initial surface > .12”
Begins on bottom edge of the slide & extends out and up &
60” high only above transition platform.
Slide Clearance Zone
Exempt: Hoods, devices used to channel user into seated position, spiral slides, tube slides
60” above slide chute for entire length of slide and outward 21” from inside of slide chute
Doesn’t extend below top of sidewalls.
21” Clearance Zone continues through exit use zone.
Slide Chute Critical Dimensions
Sidewalls greater than or equal to 4”
Bed width:
greater than or equal to 12” for 2-5
greater than or equal to 16” for 5-12
Reduced gradient exit min. of 11”
Exit less than or equal to 10 degrees below horizontal.
Chute must have average slope not to exceed 30 degrees, max slope 50 degrees.
Slide Exit Height
Vertical distance from top of slide exit to surfacing
Slides 48” or less = 0-11”
Slides 48” or more = 7-15”
Kids should be able to bend their knees and exit without jumping down.
Tube Slides
Interior Diameter - 23” min.
Means to prevent climbing or sliding on outside of tube.
Embankment Slides
A slide that follows the ground contours with the bottom of the slide less than or equal to 12” above the ground surface.
Exit region slope, height, and clearance zones apply.
Rotating Equipment
Any play structure intended to support the weight of users that revolves around an axis at any angle & revolves repeatedly.
Vertical rotating equip
must not be greater than 45 degrees from the horizontal
hand support shall be provided or sitting area shall be concave or tub-like
Platforms flush to protective surfacing shall have no gap greater than .312” (5/16”)
Clearance between equip. & protective surfacing = 2.38-3.50” or greater than 9” (unless skirt is provided)
Equip. w a reducing plane of rotation shall maintain a min. clearance of 9”
Any rotating equip. designed for climbing must also meet climber requirements.
72” clear area free of structural components
21” clear area free of rigid & non-rigid component
Shall not oscillate
Some require speed-limiting device
Vertical Rotating Equipment (greater than 20”)
Max dimension greater than 20” measured from axis of rotation to outer perimeter shall have an approximately circular perimeter. (merry-go-rounds)
Difference between min and max radii is max 2”
108” min use zone are exempt from speed-limiting devices .
Vertical Rotating Equipment (less than 20”)
Max dimension less than 20” measured from axis of rotation to outermost perimeter may be non circular in shape.
Exempt from under clearance requirements
Exempt from speed-limiting devices
Horizontal Rotating Equipment
Equipment that rotates around an axis which is 45 degrees from horizontal
Intended for standing:
Must have handrails
18” max height
.95-1.55” diameter for handgripping components
Not recommended for 2-5
Fulcrum Seesaws
60” max seat height
25 degress max angle above horizontal
handholds that don’t project
cannot twist or rotate
must meet crush & shear
not for 2-5
Spring Rocking Equipment
Hand gripping criteria -
Protrusions, head entrapment, crush & shear
Seat Height - min 14”, max 28”
Coils not exempt, attachment points are exempt.
