CPSI Layout and Site Design Requirements (Use Zones) 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A playground plan shows a bench placed 5 feet from the edge of a swing structure's use zone. Does this bench create a hazard?
- No, benches outside the use zone perimeter do not create a hazard (Correct answer)
- Yes, the bench itself requires its own 3-foot exclusion zone, encroaching on the swing use zone
- Yes, the bench falls within the required 6-foot lateral use zone of the swing structure
- No, as long as the bench faces away from the swing structure
Correct answer: No, benches outside the use zone perimeter do not create a hazard
A bench placed beyond the perimeter of the use zone does not intrude into the required clearance area and therefore does not create a use zone hazard.
Question 2: Which ASTM standard specifically addresses the performance requirements for impact-attenuating surfacing within playground use zones?
- ASTM F1487
- ASTM F1292 (Correct answer)
- ASTM F2373
- ASTM F2049
Correct answer: ASTM F1292
ASTM F1292 establishes the impact-attenuation performance standard for protective surfacing materials used within playground use zones.
Question 3: A new swing bay is to be added to a playground. The contractor proposes placing it 10 feet from an existing slide structure. The slide platform is 6 feet high. Is 10 feet of separation adequate?
- Yes, because 10 feet exceeds the 6-foot use zone of the slide
- No, the swing's front/rear use zone and the slide's use zone together require more than 10 feet (Correct answer)
- Yes, because separation only needs to equal the height of the tallest structure
- No, a 15-foot buffer is mandatory between swings and other equipment
Correct answer: No, the swing's front/rear use zone and the slide's use zone together require more than 10 feet
The swing requires a use zone of twice its pivot height in front/behind, and the slide requires 6 feet — the combined zones easily exceed 10 feet of separation.
Question 4: During an inspection, the inspector finds that loose-fill surfacing has settled, leaving only 3 inches of material within the use zone of a 7-foot-high climber. What action is required?
- Post a notice to restore fill within 30 days
- Close the affected equipment until surfacing is restored to its required depth (Correct answer)
- Reduce the designated play surface height to comply with the current surfacing depth
- Add a rubber border to contain future surfacing displacement
Correct answer: Close the affected equipment until surfacing is restored to its required depth
Inadequate protective surfacing depth is an immediate hazard — the equipment must be closed and taken out of service until surfacing is restored to its required depth.
Question 5: A playground use zone extends to the edge of a retaining wall that drops 2 feet to a lower grade. How does CPSC guidance treat this condition?
- A 2-foot drop is negligible and requires no modification to the use zone
- The use zone must not terminate at a drop or fall hazard; the area must be made safe or the equipment relocated (Correct answer)
- A guardrail at the retaining wall edge satisfies the use zone requirement
- The effective use zone depth increases by 2 feet to compensate for the lower grade
Correct answer: The use zone must not terminate at a drop or fall hazard; the area must be made safe or the equipment relocated
A use zone that terminates at an abrupt drop creates an additional hazard; the CPSC guidance requires that use zones end on safe, level ground or that the equipment be relocated.
Question 6: What minimum use zone is required at the entrance/top of a slide (the platform from which children launch)?
- No specific use zone is required at the slide entrance (Correct answer)
- 6 feet extending in all directions from the top platform
- Use zone at the top equals the slide platform height in feet
- 6 feet to the rear of the slide entrance to accommodate queuing children
Correct answer: No specific use zone is required at the slide entrance
CPSC guidelines do not specify a separate use zone at the top entrance of a slide; use zone requirements apply at the exit and along the overall structure's fall zone.
Question 7: An inspector is evaluating an irregularly shaped composite structure with components extending in multiple directions. What is the most appropriate method to define its use zone?
- Draw the smallest circle that encloses the entire structure and add 6 feet to its radius
- Identify the outermost point of each component and add 6 feet to each side independently (Correct answer)
- Use the footprint of the tallest vertical component as the base measurement
- Apply the use zone only to components that exceed 30 inches in height
Correct answer: Identify the outermost point of each component and add 6 feet to each side independently
For composite structures with irregular shapes, the use zone is determined by extending 6 feet from the outermost point of each individual component in every direction.
CPSI Layout and Site Design Requirements (Use Zones) 5
A playground plan shows a bench placed 5 feet from the edge of a swing structure's use zone.
Does this bench create a hazard?