What is ASTM for Playgrounds?

ASTM and Your Playground

When planning a commercial playground, one of the biggest questions is whether your project needs to meet specific safety codes—and how to determine which codes apply.

Understanding playground safety standards can feel overwhelming, but it’s an important step in ensuring your playground is both safe and compliant. Below, we break down what ASTM standards are, when they apply, and how to find out if your project is required to meet them.

Common ASTM Questions

What is ASTM?

ASTM standards, developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials, are a set of safety and quality guidelines used across industries, including playgrounds.

For commercial playgrounds, ASTM F1487 governs how equipment is designed, built, and installed. These standards are critical to ensuring every public playground meets strict safety requirements, particularly in high-risk areas like railings, roof height, and surfacing.

Why do ASTM Standards matter?

Playgrounds built to ASTM F1487 standards prioritize child safety by minimizing risks such as falls, entrapment, or climbing hazards.

They also require compliant playground surfacing, with specifications based on playground height and the type and depth of materials used.

Does my play project need to meet ASTM codes?

Depending on your location or local laws, you may not need a playground that meets ASTM codes.

However, you must do your due diligence: check with your liability insurance, your organization’s bylaws, and local, county, and state ordinances and codes. If there are no regulations, you can use our Commercial Flex Playgrounds as additional options to our commercial pro.

Even if I don't need an ASTM playground, should I get one?

Having a playground that meets ASTM codes is more likely to protect you and your organization if there is an accident on the playground.

Also, rules and regulations change. Even if you are not currently required to have a playground that meets ASTM, that could change in the future.

Which ASTM code do you meet and what is the difference?

The two standards we are talking about today are ASTM F1148-21 and ASTM 1487. In a nutshell, F11480-21 covers residential playgrounds, and ASTM 1487 covers commercial playgrounds.

If you need a playground for a commercial setting, it needs to met ASTM 1487.

Learn more here.

Can't I just get what I want and not worry about it?

No, when it comes to commercial playgrounds, you can’t just wing it. Do your research. It will save everyone involved a lot of time, money, and headaches.