Search for a simple means to identify dangerous surfaces under play equipment

The instrument used to measure the capacity of material under playground eq uipment that absorbs the impact caused by a child falling on it is expensiv e and impractical when carrying out field experiments. This study compares results obtained by simple observation with those obtained from using such a device (Max-Hic). The goal was to ascertain whether visual inspection can assess a safe threshold of absorption (g-max < 200 g). In 1995, 205 public parks on the island of Montreal were randomly selected. Protective surface s (material, compactness) and the height of play equipment were observed us ing the recommendations in the Canadian standard. A team tested g-max in 50 % of playgrounds (n = 356 equipments). Based on visual inspection, 59% of s urface materials were classified as non-compliant However, only 21% of all surfaces had a g-max above 200 g. The g-max increases according to the heig ht of equipment and the apparent compactness of the ground. Equipment excee ding 2 m had a mean g-max of 215 g on a compact surface compared to 163 g o n a loose surface. in a context of scarce resources, the height of equipmen t and an obviously hard-packed surface are useful factors for identifying s urfaces requiring more immediate attention. (C) 2000 National Safety Counci l and Elsevier Science Ltd.