Playground Safety Inspector Certification Questions & Answers

Layout Guidelines (6) (Ans- 1. Accessibility 2. Age Separation 3. Sight Lines 4. Conflicting Activities 5. Signage 6. Supervision Accessibility (Ans- Ensure that all playground equipment is equal access an ...

Layout Guidelines (6) (Ans- 1. Accessibility 2. Age Separation 3. Sight Lines 4. Conflicting Activities 5. Signage 6. Supervision Accessibility (Ans- Ensure that all playground equipment is equal access and wheelchair friendly. Complies with ADA and ASTM standard F1951 for wheelchair accessibility and propulsion. Age Separation (Ans- Pathways, landscaping, and playground equipment that caters to differing ages. Note - developmental differences that make this important Sight Lines (Ans- Layout of playground should minimize visual barriers so that caregivers can provide adequate supervision. Conflicting Activities (Ans- High motion and passive activities should not be placed next to each other. Slide exits should be kept away from other activities. Signage (Ans- Playgrounds should always include signs about age appropriate-ness for various equipment. Supervision (Ans- Caregivers should understand that supervision is a must on public playgrounds to help prevent injury. Access and Egress (4) (Ans- Ramps, Wide Stairway, Stepladder, Vertical Rung Ladder Ramp (Ans- Easiest access and egress to navigate. Max length 144in. Max width 36in. Slope 1:12. HANDRAILS. Transfer Platforms (Ans- Used to get from assistive devices to play equipment. Low slope, wide tread, handrails. Total height of platform = 11-18' Steps = 14"D x 24"W(min) x 8"H(max) Stepladders (Ans- ages 5-12 ONLY for narrow tread. ages 2-5 must have wide tread Slope, tread, open/closed risers, all depend on ? (Ans- AGE Handrails (childs hand should wrap?) (Ans- at least 73% around Platforms for (2-5) must have support if? (Ans- foot and hand rail support if greater than 12" between them Platforms for (5-12) must have support if? (Ans- foot and hand rail support if greater than 18" between them Arch Climbers (specifications) (Ans- NOT sole means of access for 2-5 year olds. MUST attach at or below platform Flexible Components (specs) (Ans- NOT sole means of access, attached at both ends, wide enough for 2-5 years to bring both feet to each rung, and anchored BENEATH surfacing. Guardrails and barriers are used to? (Ans- prevent inadvertent falls Fall prevention for 2-5 years (heights and needs) (Ans- under 20" (nothing) 20"-30" (guardrails required) over 30" (barriers required) Fall prevention for 5-12 years (heights and needs) (Ans- under 30" (nothing) 30"-48" (guardrails required) over 48" (barriers required) max opening for guardrails and barriers (Ans- less than 15" (users need to exit single file) Designated Playing Surface (Ans- flat, larger than 2"x2", 30 degrees from level, elevated surface that can be used for sitting, walking, climbing, or standing. Guardrails boundary for 2-5 years (Ans- max opening at lower boundary 23" guardrails boundary for 5-12 years (Ans- max opening at lower boundary = 28" Platform/Bridge/Walkway (Ans- flat surface where multiple people can move freely, horizontal, +/-2 degrees, does hold water Roofs 84" above playing surface (Ans- can be any angle. roof supports should discourage climbing. Roofs 84" below playing surface (Ans- roof should not cover playing surface. Impact Attenuating Surfacing (IAS) (Ans- protective surfacing that absorbs impact to reduce risk of head injury Critical height (Ans- Highest fall height that is support by the type of surfacing, therefore it is a characteristic of the surfacing Critical Height vs fall Height (Ans- critical height should be greater than or equal to fall height of highest piece of equipment. fall height is a characteristic of the equipment Deciding type of surfacing consider.....? (Ans- critical height/fall height, cost, wear and tear(use), environmental concerns/weather, wheelchair accessibility (complying with F-1951) Surface System (Ans- all materials that contribute to impact absorption to minimize the likelihood of head injury Loose-fill system (Ans- small, independent, movable particles