New Playground Safety Standards

New Playground Safety Standards released by Australian Standards for Playgrounds in Australia

A new Australian Standard for Playground Equipment and Surfacing (AS 4685.0:2017) has been released and anybody involved in the design, development and operation of play spaces in Australia should be aware of it.

Who should use this Playground Safety Standard?

This Standard is intended for use by designers and installers of playground equipment as well as the operators of playgrounds.

What does the new Playground Safety Standard cover?

This Australian Standard covers the “Development, installation, inspection, maintenance and operation” of all play equipment in Australia except equipment for domestic use. It supersedes AS/NZS 4486.1:1997 and incorporates relevant parts of AS/NZS 4422:1996 however AS/NZS 4422:1996 remains current in relation to the impact testing of soft-fall surfacing.

This standard does not replace the other parts of AS4685 (Parts 1-6) that cover the safe manufacturing of playground equipment products.

Why has the new Playground Safety Standard been released?

The objective of the Standard is to minimise the risk of injury to playground users. It provides a useful benchmark for planning a new play space or revamping an existing play space. It covers issues like siting, designing and developing of a play space, the selection of appropriate products, product information requirements, as well as instructions and operating procedures for the owners or stewards of a play space.

When was it released?

The new Standard was released on 30^th August 2017 and is current from the date of publication

Where can I get it?

You can acquire a copy of the Standard from SAI Global here:

https://infostore.saiglobal.com/en-au/Standards/AS-4685-0-2017-1929024/

2021 update: Check out our new article on the 2021 version of Australian Playground Standards.

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