Soft contained playgrounds: a primer.

A playground is a designated area of swings, slides, climbers, and other equipment where children have fun, challenge their physical ability, or just hang out, Playground areas are usually contained by fences. The playground industry has found a way bringing that fence in, wrapping it around the equipment, and adding soft interior surfaces, creating somewhat of an oversized gerbil cage. The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) has appropriately labeled this type of equipment Soft Contained Play Equipment (SCPE). If you have children, you probably know which fast-food restaurants feature SCPE playgrounds. You many know which shopping centers have added these playgrounds for the entertainment of children. These are usually free and provide a service. Some are "pay-for-play," providing a "quality-time" entertainment experience for children under the age of 12 and their parents.

Originally developed for fast-food restaurants and family entertainment centers, soft contained playgrounds are moving on to public recreation centers across the country. Some offer free use, designed to entertain children as a public service or to keep the children busy while the parents are engaged in another activity, such as aerobics. Others are designed as self-supporting pay-for-play or to produce revenue to offset other expenses at the recreation center; they are "an attraction." When they are well designed, they provide a fun experience as well as a physical challenge for almost everyone within the designated are range. Most provide the same experiences to all children, including those with physical disabilities. The equipment is totally encapsulated, with no platforms for children to fall from; slides are tube slides; ball pits are on the ground and netted off; materials used include plastic, vinyl, and netting -- far more forgiving than wood or metal.

The proposed compliance regulations for play environments, developed for the Access Board, recognize that the SCPE playground is contained, and the play experience includes crawling, pulling, climbing, and sliding -- all activities that provide fun and physical activity. A report states, "Where three or fewer entry points are provided, at least two shall be located on an accessible route." In researching how children with various disabilities react to Soft Contained Play Equipment, it has been found that most are able to operate in this environment; even the most severely disabled find joy being to sit in a ball pool. It is important to provide an accessible entrance and activities on one of the travel routes that may be achieves by all.

Insurance companies and cities that are self-insured have fewer incident and claims reports from accidents on SCPE. than on traditional outdoor playgrounds. This makes soft contained playgrounds an attractive investment. "The benefits are endless," exclaims Jeff Hovarter, director of the parks and recreation department in Battle Creek, Michigan, whose new center opened in May 1997 and features two soft contained playgrounds -- one inside and one outside. The "Full Blast" center includes activities for youth, teens, and families, and has received many awards from the amusement industry.

Battle Creek's indoor SCPE playground is called "Imagination" and is crafted to look like burned-out buildings with a plane crashing into them. The outdoor playground is appropriately designed and decorated to live up to its name: "Caribbean." There is a $2 charge to get into the building but no extra charge to use the playgrounds. According to Hovarter, the playgrounds are successful because of the detail that went into the design, the daily maintenance and inspections, and the level of supervision. In the first six months of operation approximately 125,000 people paid admission to enter the building, the majority of those playground-using children. There have been no accidents or reported injuries from these playgrounds. Success has been so great that the center will be expanding "Imagination" this year by building up and over one story, so there will be a walkway through the playground on the ground level.

What are the negatives to SCPE? It requires supervision, more so than a public playground. The best supervision comes from supervisors or monitors who watch over the play activity in much the same way that lifeguards monitor a swimming pool. In the private sector, some centers use multiple monitors to keep track of the children as they crawl through the structure. SCPE does require more detail to maintenance, both preventative and routine. However, SCPE can last a long time when there is a consistent inspection program and a preventive maintenance program in place. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has identified two hazards and has asked manufacturers to notify existing owners to replace all slides that exit into ball pits and to replace or repair all rope climbs that are not tied at both ends.

The initial investment is expensive compared to the traditional outdoor playground. Soft contained playgrounds do require safety pads, mats, or poured-in-place surface material in their use zones. Sometimes the local building department or fire inspector requires special sprinkler systems, smoke detectors, and outside doors as part of an evacuation plan. At ASTM, a committee (F15.36) has been formed to develop a safety standard for this specific type of equipment, and, at the committee meetings, we have addressed some of these concerns in the industry standard for SCPE; a report will be published some time this year. Some states require licenses and monthly state inspections by the inspector of amusement and attractions. Until the ASTM "Standard for Soft Contained Play Equipment" is published, here are some points to consider when purchasing SCPE or maintaining your existing structure:

Surfacing -- There must be safety surfacing in the route of travel around the equipment and in the entrance and exit fall zones. It must pass the ASTM 1292 impact attenuation testing for the appropriate fall height. The edges should be beveled, should not create a trip hazard, and should be wheelchair accessible. The crawl areas and decks should be "soft" or smooth.

Protrusion and Entanglement Hazards -- Any piece of hardware that might be capable of impaling or cutting a child (if the child should fall against it) is called a protrusion. Some protrusions are also capable of catching strings or items of clothing that might be worn around a child's neck. All interior hardware should be flush and smooth. Protruding hardware on the outside of the equipment, but not exposed to the users, should be kept to a minimum as this exposure might injure maintenance or cleaning personnel.

Pinch, Crush, and Shear Hazards -- Check for pinch, crush, and shear hazards around activities that have moving parts, such as track rides and play events that move. If the tie wraps that hold the foam in place are not finished off, the edges can scratch a child. Some elements have electrical hookups, such as air bounces, fans and, sound machines. These must be protected from the users and secured so maintenance workers are also protected.

Entrapment in Openings -- Any opening within the playground that measures between three-and-one-half to nine inches is considered a head entrapment. Children often enter openings feet first and attempt to pass. Throughout the playground, look for small openings around cargo nets and around the openings to tubes and cubes. Watch areas around entrances to slides where children can stick fingers or where strings on clothing can get caught. Web nets with openings of more than two-and-one-half inches have been known to entrap a child's leg.

Insufficient Equipment Surfacing -- Check the traffic patterns throughout the playground. Are there enough entrances and exits, and is the flow sufficient to keep children moving? Or are there places where activities will restrict the circulation pattern? To increase activities on the interior of the playground, freestanding games and videos are sometimes added. Events that are not part of the original design and have not been approved by the SCPE manufacturer should be discouraged.

Age-Appropriate Activities -- Basically, the same rules of separation of age groups that apply on the traditional playground apply here. Six-month toddler activities need to be separated and designed so parents can assist their children in these activities. If possible, the 2- to 5-year-old age group needs its own area, as these younger children tend to get "run over" by the 5- to 12-year-old children. It appears that 2- to 9-year-olds constitute the largest user group. When purchasing new equipment, the SCPE's play events should reflect the anticipated age group.

Maintenance and Inspections -- All playgrounds need maintenance and inspection plans. With SCPE, emphasis is placed upon the issues of "contained space" and hygiene. The daily maintenance and inspection program should include crawling through the unit (before the unit opens to the public), checking for vandalism and hazards, and a thorough cleaning. The inside of the unit should be wiped down with a disinfectant each day. Written records should be kept with the date and time this procedure was carried out. Weekly, a more detailed checklist should be completed that includes fittings, netting, connections, and surfacing. Any areas needing repairs should be attended to immediately, in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications. If this cannot be done prior to daily opening, the playground should be closed until repairs are completed. Most injuries occur when there is no recorded maintenance/inspection program and the safety of the users is ignored.

During the last five years, SCPE manufacturers have come and gone in a copycat industry. The survivors are the ones who have paid attention to design, used quality products, factored in safety along with fun, trained their installers, and listened to their customers. Most of today's manufacturers were here in the beginning and will be here tomorrow.