How Do I Compare Shredded Tire Mulch to the Fall Heights of Pea Gravel?

Use pea gravel under equipment with fall heights 5 feet or less.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approves shredded tire mulch and pea gravel as two possible playground safety surfaces, along with sand, wood mulch or chips not treated with the chemical CCA and materials tested to ASTM F1292 standards. While 80 percent of public playgrounds use a safe surface, only 9 percent of home playgrounds do. The CPSC does not consider grass, dirt, asphalt, concrete, wood mulch treated CCA and carpet not tested to ASTM F1292 standards to be safe playground surfaces.

Instructions

1. Learn the meaning of "fall height." CPSC defines fall height as the distance between the highest play surface on a piece of playground equipment and the protective surface beneath it. In contrast, "critical height" is the approximate fall height below which you would not expect a child to fall and experience a life-threatening head injury.

2. Use the appropriate depth of each surface material. Both tire mulch and pea gravel must be at least 9 inches deep to provide protection to children during falls. Since loose-fill materials like tire mulch and pea gravel compress about 25 percent over time, use at least 12-inch depths to start.

3. Add additional loose-fill material for safety when you install loose-fill surfacing over hard-packed earth, asphalt or concrete. Beneath pea gravel or shredded tire mulch, the CPSC recommends an additional 3 to 6 inches of loose fill, such as gravel for drainage, under a geotextile mat.

Tips & Warnings

• Over time, loose-fill surfaces can move away from places of impact, such as at the ends of slides or under swings. Rake tire mulch or pea gravel evenly over the playground surface on a weekly or daily basis, depending on how much use the playground gets.

• Install tire mulch or pea gravel to the appropriate depth for at least 6 feet around each structure. For swings, double the height of the swing and install surfacing for at least that distance in front of and behind the swing itself.

References

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Public Playground Safety Handbook
• PTO Today: Playground Surface Is a Safety Key