According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), falls to the surface account for nearly 70% of all playground injuries. You can reduce such injuries by installing a shock-absorbing surface that features a critical height rating equal to or above your play equipment's highest accessible part (CPSC/ASTM).

Surfacing options include:

"Loose-fill" material with a retaining edger, such as wood chips, sand, pea gravel and other bulk materials are inexpensive to install. However, these materials hinder wheelchair access and need constant maintenance to meet CPSC guidelines. The CPSC Handbook (page 21) shows "critical height" values for adequate protection with the most common loose-fill materials.

Resilient tiles, like TuffTurf®, or other factory-engineered materials provide a guaranteed critical height value and require little maintenance. Because their initial cost is high, such tiles are often limited to wheel-chair access path and in high-wear areas.

Poured-in-place surfaces are expensive materials available in many colors and in any shape. Performance and durability depend greatly on the quality of the installation.

Costs of these surface materials vary widely, and can account for up to 50% or more of your playground's total cost.