SAFE ASSEMBLY PRACTICES
Caution: When building kits, at least two people are required for lifting and holding beams, frames and other heavy assemblies in position before bolting or nailing. Special precautions must be taken when handling treated wood. Contact your local supplier for specific information.
Safety: Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from flying wood chips when cutting or drilling. Use a dust mask. Blunt nail points to prevent wood from splitting. To prevent splinters, sand the corners, edges, and all points of the wood by wrapping a piece of 80 grit sandpaper around a block of wood and sanding.
Installation Safety - Have you:
- Consulted the assembly instructions supplied with your particular model?
Built the unit per the plans supplied without altering the design?
Made sure all hardware is tightened securely? (Supplied bolt covers must also be fastened securely).
Using a hacksaw, cut off all protruding threaded ends of bolts and other fasteners and remove any sharp edges with a metal file as needed?
Placed the equipment on level ground, not less that 6 feet (1.8 meter) from any structure or obstruction such as a fence, garage, house, overhanging branches, laundry lines, or electrical wires?
Made sure home playground equipment is not installed 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.)
Verified that suspended ropes and chains (except those used for swings) are secured at both ends so that they cannot be looped back on themselves? Consulted the assembly instructions of your particular model for minimum use zones?
Followed all anchoring and shock absorbing surfacing requirements as they apply?
Made sure not to allow children in the area during assembly or to use equipment until it is properly installed?
Installed only Swing-N-Slide products and accessories approved for use with this product?
- Saved the plan for future reference?
REQUIRED SAFETY INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
According to ASTM requirements, all rope ends must be anchored to the ground. If soil conditions permit stakes to be pulled out easily, cementing into the ground is necessary.In addition, Swing-N-Slide recommends that all units be anchored to the ground. For quick, easy staking, purchase Swing-N-Slide NE 4521 Anchor-It ground anchors.- When anchoring unit to the ground using wooden stakes, use 2" x 4" x 18" (45mm x 95mm x 457mm)
pressure treated stakes. Pound stakes into the ground at
least 12" (305mm) at all inside corners of the 4" x 4" (95mm x 95mm) posts
(including A-frame legs and climbing unit posts). Attach
with four (4) 16D galvanized nails per stake into each 4"
x 4" (95mm x 95mm) post.
when anchoring a climbing rope with wooden stakes, anchor the rope end. Use a 2" x 4" x 18" (45mm x 95mm x 457mm) pressure treated stake. Drill a 1-1/4" (32mm) or 1 -1/8" (29mm) hole through the stake approximately 1 1/2" (38mm) from the top of the stake.Cement stake into ground, leaving only the hole exposed. Insert rope end through hole in stake and tie a knot in the rope to secure.
Once the unit is completely assembled and before children are allowed to play on it, proper shock absorbing surfacing material must be installed. This may be accomplished by using loose-fill materials at a sufficient depth. The Consumer Product Safety Commission "Handbook for Public Playground Safety" lists the following materials and required depths that are sufficient for home/residential application. For fall height protection up to 9 ft. (2.742m) [recommended for Swing-n-Slide kits]:
LOOSE FILL MATERIAL REQUIRED (UNCOMPRESSED) DEPTH Wood Mulch 9" (229mm) Double Shredded Bark Mulch 9" (229mm) Uniform Wood Chips 12" (305mm) Fine Sand 12" (305mm) Fine Gravel 12" (305mm)
- When properly installed, shock absorbing material will completely cover the horizontal baseboards on climbing units. This protective surfacing must extend a minimum of 6 ft. (1.828m) in all directions from the perimeter of the equipment or from the outermost edges of any component. For example, a slide extending beyond the platform must have protective surfacing at least 6 ft. (1.828m) out from both sides as well as the end. For Swings, the protective surface must extend at least 14 ft.out from both the back and front of the swing when swing is in its resting position.
- When anchoring unit to the ground using wooden stakes, use 2" x 4" x 18" (45mm x 95mm x 457mm)
pressure treated stakes. Pound stakes into the ground at
least 12" (305mm) at all inside corners of the 4" x 4" (95mm x 95mm) posts
(including A-frame legs and climbing unit posts). Attach
with four (4) 16D galvanized nails per stake into each 4"
x 4" (95mm x 95mm) post.
