Playground equipment manufacturers continually try to develop equipment that will excite future purchasers. This led to the development of much of the musical panels seen on many structures and the nature-based ground level play that is becoming popular. Decks heights of over eight feet will excite most children, but tend to scare park directors as most know that the single highest source of playground injuries occurs from falls. When it comes to falling the shorter the fall, the less likely a serious injury will occur. However with recent innovations in surfacing products such as poured in place, rubber mulch, and wood fiber, a playground with a 12 foot deck is not only possible, but it is also safe. Most playground systems with decks at this height tend to be fully enclosed, a layer of protection that no surface can achieve.
The structure as pictured is our Alpine Woods Recycled Plastic Structure. The Alpine Thunder slide features three unique chutes that begin at six feet in the air. The spiral tube slide sits atop a deck just over nine feet in the air and features enclosed rails, reducing the chance of a child trying to exit from the high deck. To protect against a critical head injury from a fall at this height 12 inches of compacted wood fiber, 4 inches of poured in place, or 6 inches of compacted rubber mulch is required. When planning for a playground, make sure to take a look at the deck heights, as they are often an indicator of the amount of surfacing required. For instance pea gravel commonly referred to as pea fill will only protect against a fall of five feet with a minimum of nine inches of fill. This means that no matter how many inches additionally added of pea fill, the surface will protect against a maximum of five feet. As pea fill is often the most affordable and widely available surface in the United States, it is often looked upon as being safe with the logic of simply adding more.
