(b) Equipment that has been determined by the Office of Early Childhood to be unsafe for the participants in the licensed facility to use shall be:

1. (1) Removed from the play area; or
2. (2) Enclosed by a fence or other suitable barrier so the participants will not have access to it.

(c)

1. (1) All newly purchased playground equipment designed for participants to play or climb on such as slides, swings, composite structures, etc., shall be commercially manufactured and certified to meet ASTM International or Consumer Product Safety Commission standards for public playgrounds.
2. (2) Equipment in place prior to January 1, 2014, may continue to be used provided it meets all other licensing requirements.

(h) There shall be no sharp:

1. (1) Points;
2. (2) Corners;
3. (3) Edges; or
4. (4) Splinters.

(i)

1. (1) Equipment shall not have protrusion hazards.
2. (2) A protrusion is a projection that, when tested, is found to be a hazard having the potential to cause bodily injury to a user who impacts it.

(j)

1. (1) Equipment shall not have entanglement hazards.
2. (2) An entanglement is a condition in which the user’s clothes or something around the user’s neck becomes caught or entwined on a component of playground equipment.

(k)

1. (1) Trampolines shall not be used.
2. (2) Therapeutic use of trampolines is acceptable if supervised by the therapist on a one-on-one basis.

(l)

1. (1) Ball pits shall not be used.
2. (2) Ball pits are large areas or pits filled with balls intended for children to jump in and play.
3. (3) Therapeutic use of ball pits is acceptable if supervised by the therapist on a one-on-one basis.

(m)

1. (1) Wading pools shall not be used.
2. (2) This does not prohibit the use of sprinklers and water play.

(n)

1. (1) To prevent entrapment, there shall be no opening or openings between any interior opposing surfaces between three and five-tenths inches and nine inches (3 1/2” – 9”). (Openings in equipment that might allow a child’s body to pass through, but not their head.)
2. (2) Ground-bounded openings are exempt.

(o) Providers and caregivers shall be aware of and remove when possible any hazardous items children may wear on play equipment such as:

1. (1) Helmets;
2. (2) Drawstrings; and
3. (3) Other accessories around the neck that may cause a strangulation or entanglement hazard.

(p)

1. (1) All participants shall wear properly fitted and approved helmets:

   1. (A) While riding on bicycles; and
   2. (B) When using:

(i) Roller skates;

1. (ii) Skateboards;

   1. (iii) Rollerblades; and

      1. (iv) Scooters.
2. (2) Helmets shall be removed as soon as participants stop riding this equipment.
3. (3) Helmets shall meet Consumer Product Safety Commission standards.