Playground Equipment and Surfacing Standards
What are Standards?
The Australian Standards for Playground Equipment and Surfacing are an advisory set of guidelines that are not regulatory on their own, standards are voluntary;
- Are a national recommendation on minimum requirements for best practice
- Are not mandatory for public and private play areas
- Playgrounds provided by schools and childcare centers usually have to comply with policies under the State or Territory relevant Department of education or equivalent
- Although not mandatory, may (highly likely) be referred to in court action against providers of play equipment
- Cover specific guidelines on design, installation, inspection, and maintenance
- A playground owner has a duty of care to all users and visitors and a reasonable standard of care should be applied to the playground to prevent injury or loss.
There is no requirement for the public to comply with the Standards. However, State and Commonwealth Governments often refer to Australian Standards (AS) or joint Australian/New Zealand Standards (AS/NZ) in their legislation.
When this happens, these standards can become mandatory. In addition, Australian Standards are sometimes incorporated into legal documents, and considered as a ‘benchmark of acceptability’.
PSIA conducts its operations in accordance with the Australian Standard, “Best Practice” and Occupational Health & Safety Act.
What are the Current Standards?
The below can be purchased directly from SAI Global here.
| Standard | Year | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AS 4685.0 | 2017 | Playground Equipment and Surfacing. Part 0: Development, installation, inspection, maintenance and operation. |
| AS 4685.1 | 2021 | Playground equipment and surfacing. Part 1: General safety requirements and test methods |
| AS 4685.2 | 2021 | Playground equipment and surfacing. Part 2: Additional safety requirements and test methos for swings |
| AS 4685.3 | 2021 | Playground equipment and surfacing. Part 3: Additional safety requirements and test method for slides |
| AS 4685.4 | 2021 | Playground equipment and surfacing. Part 4: Additional safety requirements and test method for cableways |
| AS 4685.5 | 2021 | Playground equipment and surfacing. Part 5: Additional safety requirements and test method for carousels |
| AS 4685.6 | 2021 | Playground equipment and surfacing. Part 6: Additional safety requirements and test method for rocking equipment |
| AS 4685.11 | 2014 | Playground equipment and surfacing. Part 11: Additional safety requirements and test method for spatial network |
| AS 4422 | 2022 | (Int) Playground surfacing - Specifications, requirements and test method |
| AS 16630 | 2021 | Permanently installed outdoor fitness equipment - Safety requirements and test methods |
| AS EN 14974 | 2021 | Skateparks - Safety requirements and test methods |
| AS EN 16899 | 2020 | Sports and recreational equipment - Parkour equipment - Safety requirements and test methods |
Keeping Standards Up-To-Date
To maintain their currency, Standards are periodically reviewed and new editions are published. Between editions, amendments may be issued. Standards may also be withdrawn. It is important you ensure you are referring to the current Standards, which should include any amendments which may have been published since the Standard was purchased.
Submit email below to keep up to date on any new or superseded Standards.
StandardsWatch is another easy way to keep Standards up-to-date, a subscription offered by Sai Global.
Recent Updates
AS 4422 (Int):2022 Playground Surfacing
AS 4422 (Int):2022 | Playground surfacing – specification, requirements and test method supersedes AS 4422:2016 Publication date: 25-11-2022. This information is correct at time of publication, please click here for current Standards. Standards can be purchased directly from SAI Global. All training courses have been updated to reflect these changes, click here to enroll.
AS 1428.1:2021 Design for Access and Mobility
AS 1428.1:2021- Design for Access and Mobility Publication date: 18-06-2021. “Are you starting work on a new building? Have you thought about the access and mobility requirements for people with a disability? AS 1428.1:2021 sets out minimum design requirements for new building work, as required by the Building Code of Australia (BCA), to enable access …
AS 4685 part 1-6 (2021) Playground Equipment and Surfacing
AS 4685.1:2014 for playground equipment and surfacing – general safety requirements and test methods superseded with AS 4685.1:2021 AS 4685.2:2014 for playground equipment and surfacing – additional safety requirements and test methods for swings superseded with AS 4685.2:2021 AS 4685.3:2014 for playground equipment and surfacing – additional specific safety requirements and test methods for slides superseded with AS 4685.3:2021 AS 4685.4:2014 …
New Standard AS 16630 (2021) Outdoor Fitness Equipment
Release of the new standard AS 16630:2021 for permanently installed outdoor fitness equipment Publication date: 29-01-2021. This information is correct at time of publication, please click here for current Standards. Standards can be purchased directly from SAI Global. All training courses have been updated to reflect these changes, click here to enroll.
New Standard AS EN 14974 (2021) Skateparks
New Standard AS EN 14974:2021 | Skateparks – Safety requirements and test methods Publication date: 22-01-2021. This information is correct at time of publication, please click here for current Standards. Standards can be purchased directly from SAI Global.
