Standards Australia releases new playground standard

A new playground standard has been published by Standards Australia.

The AS 4685.0:2017, Playground equipment and surfacing – Part 0: Development, installation, inspection, maintenance and operation creates the foundation for all Australian playground equipment and surfacing standards.

While playgrounds are a positive environment for learning and development, it is important to effectively manage risk in the planning and design stages.

The objective of AS 4685.0 is to minimise the risk of injury to playground users. It provides designers, owners and operators of playgrounds with guidance on the development, installation, inspection, maintenance and operation of playgrounds.

The other parts of the AS 4685 series specify equipment requirements and test methods.

“Risk is an inherent feature of playtime and there are many acceptable risks as part of a stimulating and challenging learning environment. The solution is not to wrap kids in cotton wool; the standard is all about challenging children and developing important life skills,” said Professor David Eager, chairperson of the Technical Committee CS-005, Playground Equipment.

“AS 4685.0 introduces a risk benefit analysis technique that allows operators and owners of playgrounds to quantify their exposure to hazards using techniques that are simple to apply. Then they can make evidence-based decisions with regard to the maintenance, repairs and the timely replacement of their assets.”