Consumer Product Safety Commission Revises Handbook for Public Playground Safety

In 1997, the Consumer Product Safety Commission published the Handbook for Public Playground Safety to provide voluntary playground safety guidelines for child care facilities, institutions, parks, schools, resorts, and other public use sites where children ages 2 months to 12 years play in an outdoor play space. The document has been widely used as an industry standard on playground safety, and in some states, has been incorporated into childcare licensing standards.

We recommend a copy of these standards for every childhood program. It's an invaluable tool for keeping outdoor spaces in compliance. Even the new NAEYC accreditation process will require a playground safety inspection by a professional knowledgeable of these standards and other safety requirements for playground equipment.

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has issued new standards for manufacturing equipment used for children under the age of 2, so the Handbook for Public Playground Safety will be revised to reflect these and other changes in the playground industry. We will provide an update when the new handbook is issued.