Installation and Ground Preparation Instructions

Placement of Play System

• Place the Play System on level ground.
• Pick a site that is free of any obstacles – such as overhanging tree branches, overhead wires, tree stumps and/or roots, rocks, bricks, fence, house, and concrete.
• Place the Play System at least 6 feet away from any structure or obstacle (fall zone).
• Swings should be farther away – a distance equal to twice the height of the top bar from which the swings are suspended.
• Remove tripping hazards, like exposed concrete footings, tree stumps, and rocks before using equipment.
• Do not use equipment until it has been properly and completely installed.
• Do not install Play System over concrete, asphalt, packed earth, or any other hard surface. A FALL ONTO A HARD SURFACE CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO THE EQUIPMENT USER. (See Playground Surfacing Instructions for further details.)
• If you live in a high wind area, the Play System must be staked to the ground.

Operating Instructions

Observing the following instructions and warnings reduces the likelihood of serious or fatal injury.

• On-site adult supervision should be provided for children of all ages.
• To prevent entanglement and strangulation, children should be appropriately dressed in well-fitting clothes and shoes. Clothing such as ponchos, scarves, hooded jackets or clothes with strings, scarves or other loose clothing that is potentially hazardous while using equipment should be avoided. Children should not wear bike helmets while playing on the Play System.
• Instruct children not to climb when the equipment is wet.
• Never attach or allow children to attach ropes, jump-ropes, clotheslines, or pet leashes to play equipment; children can strangle on these.
• Slides, swings, and accessories are manufactured and intended for single person use. For your safety and for the protection of the Play System, do not allow more than one person on slides, swings, or other accessories at any given time.
• Instruct children not to walk close to, in front of, behind, or between moving items.
• Instruct children to avoid swinging empty seats.
• Teach children to sit in the center of the swings with their full weight on the seat.
• Instruct children not to get off equipment while it is in motion.
• Instruct children not to use the equipment in a manner other than intended.
• Instruct children not to climb up the sliding surface of a slide.
• Instruct children to slide down feet first, while in a seated position, and one child at a time.
• Instruct children to be sure the area in front of the slide is clear and free of obstructions before sliding down.
• To prevent burns, do not allow children to use equipment that has been sitting in the sun.

For Play Systems having the optional water system, the following operating instructions and warnings should also be observed.

• Do not allow children to point or spray a water cannon directly at another person or animal within 10-foot distance.
• A water cannon should never be aimed or sprayed directly at another person’s face as serious injury may result.
• Improper or misuse of a water cannon may cause serious injury.
• Use of the water system will result in the Play System and equipment becoming wet and slippery. Use of the Play System and equipment while wet may result in falls and serious injuries, despite the non-skid grip tape being installed. Therefore, parental supervision and extreme caution is required for use of the water system.
• Instruct children not to climb, run on, or run around the Play System while wet.
• Instruct children not to climb or use wet equipment, including slides, rock walls, rope-ladder, corkscrew, swings, tree climbers, monkey bars, or similar equipment.

Maintenance Instructions

To keep your Play System safe and in the best working condition, it is recommended that you—

At the beginning of the play season:

• Tighten all hardware.
• Lubricate all metallic moving parts per the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Check all protective coverings on bolts, pipes, edges, and corners. Replace if they are loose, cracked, or missing.
• Check all moving parts including swing seats, ropes, cables, and chains for wear, rust, or other deterioration. Replace as needed.
• Check metal parts for rust. If found, sand and repaint using a nonlead-based paint meeting the requirements of 16 CFR 1303.
• Reinstall any plastic parts, such as swing seats or any other items that were removed for the cold season.
• Rake and check depth of loose fill protective surfacing materials to prevent compaction and to maintain appropriate depth. Replace as necessary.
• Check the Play System for any spaces that could trap children, such as openings in guardrails or between ladder rungs before every use. (For reference, children can be trapped in spaces that measure between 3.5-inches to 9-inches.)

At least once a month during the play season:

• Lubricate all metallic moving parts per the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Check all moving parts including swing seats, ropes, cables, and chains for wear, rust, or other deterioration. Replace as needed.

At least twice a month during the play season:

• Check all nuts and bolts for tightness. Tighten as required.
• Check all coverings for bolts and sharp edges to be certain they are in place. Replace when necessary.
• Check for sharp points or edges in equipment twice monthly.
• Check surfacing material and replenish as necessary to maintain proper depth. (See Playground Surfacing Information for further details.)
• Remove all tripping hazards such as exposed concrete footings, tree stumps, or rocks.

At the end of each play season or when the temperature drops below 40°F:

• Remove plastic swing seats and other items as specified by the manufacturer and take indoors or do not use.
• Rake and check depth of loose fill protective surfacing materials to prevent compaction and to maintain appropriate depth. Replace as necessary.
• Examine the legibility of the warning label. If warning label is illegible, please contact us for a replacement.

Disposal

If you intend to cease using the Play System permanently or wish to dispose of your Play System, please disassemble and dispose of the Play System and parts in such a way that no unreasonable hazards will exist at the time you discard the Play System.

Playground Surfacing Information

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commis­sion (CPSC) estimates that about 100,000 playground equipment related injuries resulting from falls to the ground surface are treated annually in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. Injuries involving this hazard pattern tend to be among the most serious of all playground injuries, and have the potential to be fatal, particularly when the injury is to the head. The surface under and around playground equipment can be a major factor in determining the injury causing potential of a fall. It is self-evident that a fall onto a shock-absorbing surface is less likely to cause a serious injury than a fall onto a hard surface. Playground equipment should never be placed on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt and while grass may appear to be acceptable, it may quickly tum to hard packed earth in areas of high traffic. Shredded bark mulch, wood chips, fine sand or fine gravel are considered to be acceptable shock-absorbing surfaces when installed and maintained at a sufficient depth under and around playground equipment.

Table 1 lists the maximum height from which a child would not be expected to sustain a life-threatening head injury in a fall onto different loose-fill surfacing materials if they are installed and maintained at depths of 6, 9, and 12 inches. However, it should be recognized that all injuries due to falls cannot be pre­vented no matter what surfacing material is used.

It is recommended that a shock-absorbing material should extend a minimum of 6 ft. in all directions from the perimeter of stationary equipment such as climbers and slides. However, because children may deliberately jump from a moving swing, the shock absorbing material should extend in the front and rear of a swing a minimum distance of 2 times the height of the pivot point measured from a point directly beneath the pivot on the supporting structure.

This information is intended to assist in comparing the relative shock-absorbing properties of various materials. No particular material is recommended or endorsed over another. However, each material is only effective when properly maintained. Materials should be checked periodically and replenished to maintain correct depth as determined necessary for your equipment. The choice of a material depends on the type and height of the playground equipment, the availability of the material in your area, and its cost.