Outdoor Playground Area

Outdoor Playground Area All licensed child care facilities are required to have an adequate outdoor playground area. All playgrounds and playground equipment intended for use by children 2-12 years of age shall meet the standards set forth in the Handbook for Public Playground Safety, Publication No. 325, published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. 1. The child care facility shall be equipped with an outdoor playground area that directly adjoins the indoor facilities or that can be reached by a route free of hazards and is no farther than 1/8 mile (660 feet) from the child care facility. The outdoor playground area shall comprise a minimum of 75 square feet for each child using the outdoor playground area at any one time. 2. The total outdoor playground area shall accommodate at least 33 percent of the licensed capacity at one time. 3. A rooftop used as an outdoor playground area shall be enclosed with a fence not less than six feet high and designed to prevent children from climbing it. An approved fire escape shall lead from the roof to an open space at the ground level that meets safety standards for outdoor playground areas. 4. The outdoor playground area shall be well arranged so that all areas are visible to staff at all times. 5. The outdoor playground area shall be free of hazards and not less than 30 feet (measured horizontally parallel to the ground) from electrical transformers, high- voltage power lines, electrical substations, railroad tracks, or sources of toxic fumes or gases. Hazards, including but not limited to air conditioner units and utility mains, meters, tanks, and/or cabling shall be inaccessible to children. Fencing at least four feet high shall be provided around the outdoor playground area. Fencing higher than four feet but not to exceed eight feet may be required if the licensing authority determines that a hazard exists. Fencing twist wires and bolts shall face away from the playground. As an alternative, exposed bolt ends may be cut to no more than two exposed threads. Then the bolt ends shall be ground/sanded smooth or capped. 6. Outdoor playground areas shall be free from unprotected swimming and wading pools, ditches, quarries, canals, excavations, fishponds, or other bodies of water. 7. Sunlit areas and shaded areas shall be provided by means of open space and tree plantings or other cover in outdoor spaces. Outdoor spaces shall be laid out to ensure ample shaded space for each child. 8. The outdoor playground area shall be enclosed with a fence. The fence shall be at least four feet in height and the bottom edge shall be no more than three and one-half (3½) inches off the ground. There shall be at least two exits from such areas, with at least one remote from the buildings. The gate latch or securing device shall be high enough or of such a type that it cannot be opened by small children. The openings in the fence shall be no greater than three and one-half (3½) inches, e.g., between the building and the fence. The fence shall be constructed to discourage climbing. 9. The soil in outdoor playground areas shall not contain hazardous levels of any toxic chemical or substances. The child care facility shall have soil samples and analyses performed where there is good reason to believe a problem may exist. 10. The soil in outdoor playground areas shall be analyzed for lead content initially. It shall be analyzed at least once every two years where the exteriors of adjacent buildings and structures are painted with lead- containing paint. Lead in soil shall not exceed 400 ppm. Testing and analyses shall be in accordance with procedures specified by the licensing agency.