Designation:F1292−13AnAmericanNationalStandardStandardSpecificationforImpactAttenuationofSurfacingMaterialsWithintheUseZoneofPlaygroundEquipment1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationF1292;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.INTRODUCTIONSurveysbytheUnitedStatesConsumerProductSafetyCommission(CPSC)2andothershaveshownthatfallsfromplaygroundequipmentontotheunderlyingsurfaceareasignificantcauseofinjuriestochildren.Severeheadinjuriesarethemostfrequentlyimplicatedcauseofdeathinplaygroundequipment-relatedfalls.Useofappropriateimpact-attenuatingsurfacingmaterialsintheusezoneofplaygroundequipmentcanreducetheriskoffall-relatedinjury.Inparticular,itisbelievedthattheriskoflife-threateningheadinjuriesisreducedwhenappropriatesurfacingmaterialsareinstalled.Thisspecificationspecifiesimpactattenuationperformancerequirementsforplaygroundsurfacesandsurfacingmaterialsandprovidesameansofdeterminingimpactattenuationperformanceusingatestmethodthatsimulatestheimpactofachild’sheadwiththesurface.Thetestmethodquantifiesimpactintermsofg-maxandHeadInjuryCriterion(HIC)scores.G-maxisthemeasureofthemaximumacceleration(shock)producedbyanimpact.TheHeadInjuryCriterionorHICscoreisanempiricalmeasureofimpactseveritybasedonpublishedresearchdescribingtherelationshipbetweenthemagnitudeanddurationofimpactaccelerationsandtheriskofheadtrauma.Thestandardincludesproceduresallowingsurfacingmaterialstobeperformance-ratedbeforeinstallationandforinstalledsurfacingmaterialstobetestedforconformancewiththespecification.Thepurposeofthisspecificationistoreducethefrequencyandseverityoffall-relatedheadinjuriestochildrenbyestablishingauniformandreliablemeansofcomparingandspecifyingtheimpactattenuationofplaygroundsurfaces.Itsusewillgivedesigners,manufacturers,installers,prospectivepurchasers,owne...
