Standards
Canadian
Playground Advisory Inc.
has been actively involved in the standards writing process since
1990 with participation on the
CSA Technical
Committee on Children's Playspaces and Equipment. Although
committee members participate in all of the activities, the
specialty has been on the topics of protective surfacing, fall
heights and accessibility. Through these efforts testing of
installed surfaces in the field on a periodic basis, determination
of fall heights from the tops of barriers for composite structures,
introduction of net structures, measurements of string entanglements
and the accessibility of playground have been championed by our
activities.
Canadian
Playground Advisory Inc. is proud
to have participated in the ASTM
Standards process since the mid 1990s. During that time
our involvement has been in the championing of the Free-Fall drop
test device for ASTM F1292 and the advancement
of testing of installed surfaces in the field and gathering of data
to help the owner of playground surfaces to determine the value of
their inventory. Other
achievements of the F08.63 playground sub-committee have been the
development of a guide for poured-in-place surfacing that should go
far to educate manufacturers and owners alike.
Other work is the lead on the ASTM F2157 running track
standard, for which Rolf Huber received an award of appreciation
from the ASTM F08 committee.
Other committees that have been participated in are wrestling
mats, martial arts mats, playing surfaces and artificial turf.
All of these sub-committees have and involvement with impact
attenuation performance of the surface to the user.
Canadian
Playground Advisory
has worked of many years with the US Access-Board and other
accessibility advocates on the promotion of the playground aspect of
the ADA.
We are very proud that on September 15, 2010 the US
Department of Justice published the
2010 ADA
Standards, which does include playgrounds and the compliance of
the surface to the requirements of ASTM F1292.
We look forward to assisting in the
advancement of this Standard with various agencies of the US
government and owner/operators of playgrounds over the coming years
Surfacing Standards are important in providing a better
quality of life for the users of the surfaces and those that care
for their continued participation is activities and the prevention
of injuries. Canadian
Playground Advisory Inc. has been and continues to be involved in
the development of new standards and the improvement of current
ones. It is through this
commitment that proposals for lower Gmax and HIC values are being
promoted in the areas of playground surfacing and artificial turf
for athletic fields.
