Accessible Play Areas - A Summary of Accessibility Guidelines for Play Areas

Accessible Surfaces Located In The Use Zone

If located within the use zone, accessible ground surfaces must also be impact attenuating and meet ASTM F 1292-04 Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment.  The "use zone" is a ground level area beneath and immediately adjacent to a play structure or piece of equipment that is designated for unrestricted circulation around the equipment. It is predicted that a user would fall and land or exit the equipment on the surface of the use zone.

Accessible and non-accessible surfaces can be combined to provide variety and excitement in the play area.

Ground surfaces must be inspected and maintained regularly and frequently to ensure continued compliance with the ASTM F 1951-99 standard. The frequency of maintenance and inspection of resilient surfacing depends on the amount of use and the type of surfacing installed.

Engineered wood fiber surfaces will require frequent maintenance to comply with the ASTM F 1951-99 standard because of surface displacement due to user activity or other factors.   Designers and operators are likely to choose materials that best serve the needs of each play area. The type of material selected will affect the frequency and cost of maintenance.

At the time of this publication, rubber surfacing and some engineered wood fiber products meet the ASTM F 1951-99 standard. The fact that a specific product meets the ASTM 1951-99 standard does not necessarily mean that all other similar products will meet the standard. Operators interested in selecting surfaces to comply with the play area guidelines should consult individual product manufacturers to determine compliance with ASTM F 1951-99.