Taking Measurements
How much space do you have allocated for your project?
A simple measurement of length and wide of your allocated space plays a significant role in determining the right products for your project. The majority of the equipment on our site have a specified Safety Use Zone. This zone includes the space that the structure occupies AND the safety buffer space surrounding the equipment. Measurements will be listed as XX' x XX' (e.g. 22' Long x 24' Wide). The important item to note here is if your length and wide measurements are less than or equal to the Safety Use Zone specifications you can rest assured the equipment will “fit”.
Calculate Your Square Footage
Use our calculator to convert a play structures Use Zone into square feet OR use it to help you calculate how much play space you have available. Simply enter a length and a width a click "Calculate Square Footage"
What is a Use Zone?
In order to ensure our playgrounds are properly designed to minimize safety risks, we meet or exceed applicable standards for playground safety use zones. The safety use zone is the minimum free space around a play structure required to meet Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM) standards. Use zone measurements vary depending upon the type, elevation and intended use of the equipment.
Safety Use Zones are designated amounts of space the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends between each type of playground equipment to ensure that children playing on your playground are not vulnerable to potential fall or collision injuries. Adhering to these guidelines when you choose your playground equipment and install it is important because it protects you from premises liability, and, in some locations, is a legal requirement. Below are some basic guidelines for determining your playground use zones:
Climbers
Climbers should occupy a use zone that extends a minimum of 6’ in all directions from the perimeter of the climber
This use zone can overlap with neighboring equipment when:
- Adjacent play surfaces are no more than 30” high OR
- There is at least 9’ between equipment when adjacent designated play surfaces are more than 30” high
Slides
All slides should have an exit region to help children maintain their balance and facilitate a smooth transition from sitting to standing when exiting.
For Toddlers
- At least 3’ around the perimeter of the slide
- Use area at end of slide should not overlap with use zone for any other equipment
For Public Areas with Unlimited Access:
- For stand-alone slide, at least 6’ around the perimeter
- For slides that are part of a play structure, the minimum use zone between access components and the foot of the slide should be 3’
- The foot of the use zone from the front foot of the slide should be at least 6’ without overlapping use zones from other equipment
For Preschool and School
- A minimum of 6’ from the perimeter of the equipment for stand-alone slides
- Front exit of slide should not overlap with use zone of other equipment
With exception of another slide running parallel - For slides greater than 6’ hall, the use zone in front of its exit should be as long as the slide is high, up to 8’
Swings
The use zone in front of and behind the swing should be greater than to the sides of such a swing since children may deliberately attempt to exit from a single-axis swing while it is in motion.
- Use zone in front and behind should be greater than to the sides of the swing to account for children jumping off the swing while in motion
- For a belt swing seat, front-to-back use zone should allow twice the vertical distance from the pivot point to the top of the protective surfacing below
- For a full bucket swing seat, the minimum front-to-back use zone should be twice the vertical distance from the top of the occupant’s sitting surface to the pivot point
- Side-to side-use zone should be a minimum of 6 feet from the perimeter of the swing
- Front-to-back use zones for swings should not overlap with any other use zone
- Side-to-side use zones may overlap that of an adjacent swing structure or other play structure
