CPSI Common Playground Hazards 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A child's clothing drawstring becomes caught in playground equipment. This hazard is best classified as:
- Entrapment hazard
- Entanglement hazard (Correct answer)
- Crush hazard
- Fall hazard
Correct answer: Entanglement hazard
Drawstrings, ropes, and cords that can wrap around a child's neck or body are classified as entanglement hazards.
Question 2: Which surface temperature threshold is considered a burn hazard risk for playground equipment in direct sunlight?
- 100°F (38°C)
- 110°F (43°C)
- 131°F (55°C) (Correct answer)
- 150°F (66°C)
Correct answer: 131°F (55°C)
Surfaces exceeding 131°F (55°C) can cause burns and are considered a thermal burn hazard per CPSC guidelines.
Question 3: A gap measuring 5 inches between a climber's rungs poses which specific type of hazard?
- Head entrapment hazard (Correct answer)
- Leg entrapment hazard
- Fall hazard
- Protrusion hazard
Correct answer: Head entrapment hazard
Openings between 3.5 and 9 inches are considered head entrapment hazards because a child's head can become trapped.
Question 4: When inspecting a swing set, a CPSI finds the swing seats are positioned too close together. The primary hazard this creates is:
- Entanglement with chains
- Impact hazard from colliding swings (Correct answer)
- Fall hazard from the swing seat
- Crush hazard from the frame
Correct answer: Impact hazard from colliding swings
Swings spaced too closely create an impact hazard when adjacent swings are in motion and can strike a child.
Question 5: A CPSI observes water pooling under a slide after rain. The most immediate hazard concern is:
- Equipment corrosion over time
- Slip-and-fall hazard at the slide exit (Correct answer)
- Inadequate drainage leading to structural damage
- Mosquito breeding and disease risk
Correct answer: Slip-and-fall hazard at the slide exit
Water pooling at slide exits creates an immediate slip-and-fall hazard as children land on wet surfaces.
Question 6: Which type of playground equipment poses the greatest risk of a crush hazard to young children?
- Slides with enclosed tunnels
- Merry-go-rounds and rotating equipment (Correct answer)
- Overhead ladders and monkey bars
- Swings with belt seats
Correct answer: Merry-go-rounds and rotating equipment
Rotating equipment like merry-go-rounds can trap and crush body parts such as hands or feet between moving and stationary components.
Question 7: A CPSI finds rust on a metal support post that has reduced its thickness by 25%. This is primarily a hazard because it indicates:
- A tripping hazard from flaking rust
- Structural failure risk due to compromised load-bearing capacity (Correct answer)
- A skin laceration hazard from sharp rust edges
- An entanglement hazard from loose metal pieces
Correct answer: Structural failure risk due to compromised load-bearing capacity
Significant corrosion that reduces metal thickness compromises the structural integrity and load-bearing capacity of the equipment, posing a structural failure risk.
CPSI Common Playground Hazards 4
A child's clothing drawstring becomes caught in playground equipment.
This hazard is best classified as: