Safety & Compliance Information
Outdorable movable play equipment is designed for actively supervised outdoor play in early childhood education settings, childcare centres, schools and nature-play spaces.
The system supports:
Outdorable products are intended for actively supervised environments. They are not designed to function as permanently installed public playground structures.
Outdorable movable play equipment has been developed with reference to internationally recognised playground and play equipment safety standards, including:
Where applicable, individual components and materials have been independently tested against relevant safety requirements. Signed certificates are included at the end of the Outdorable Safety Handbook (download link below).
For USA customers, Outdorable equipment should be used in line with the supervision, surfacing, inspection and risk-management principles in:
The CPSC Handbook is published as guidance, not a mandatory federal rule. However, some states, licensing bodies and insurers require compliance with it. Because Outdorable products are movable, modular and intended for supervised loose-parts play, they may not fall within the same classification as permanently fixed public playground equipment covered by ASTM F1487.
We are often asked why Outdorable climber boxes do not have guardrails or protective barriers. The answer is in the CPSC Handbook itself.
Section 5.1.3 (Guardrails and protective barriers) sets out guardrail and barrier recommendations in Table 4, and then states:
"However, the recommendations do not apply if the guardrail or barrier would interfere with the intended use of the equipment, such as:
— CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook, Publication #325, §5.1.3
- Climbing equipment
- Platforms layered so that the fall height is:
- Toddlers: 7 inches or less.
- Preschool-age: 20 inches or less.
- School-age: 30 inches or less."
The same section also recognises that entrance and exit openings are an accepted part of a guarded structure.
Why this applies to Outdorable climbers
Every side of an Outdorable climber box is a climbing wall, designed as an intended point of entry and exit. There is no "closed" side. Children are meant to climb onto, over and off the climber from any direction.
Adding a guardrail or barrier to any side would block an intended climbing face. That would directly interfere with the intended use of the equipment, which is exactly the situation §5.1.3 excludes from the guardrail and barrier recommendations.
Attachments such as planks, ramps and ladders add further ways to access the climbers and let educators adjust the level of challenge. They do not change the core design: all sides of the climber are intended to be accessed.
Removing guardrails does not remove the need for other safety measures. In line with the CPSC Handbook, Outdorable recommends:
Outdorable equipment is intended for:
Site operators are responsible for:
Adult supervision is required at all times during use.
The Outdorable Safety Handbook includes safety documentation, operational guidance, available testing information and signed certificates. Products are marked for supervised-use environments.
The Handbook and our training materials also include:
Please watch the video below and share it with all supervisors and educators who will use the equipment.
Playground and childcare safety requirements vary between US states, licensing bodies, insurers and local jurisdictions.
Site owners and operators are responsible for determining suitability for their own environment and for complying with all local regulatory requirements.
Outdorable recommends consulting local licensing authorities, Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSI) or risk-management professionals where required. For questions about CPSC §5.1.3 or our climber design, please contact us. We're happy to provide documentation to support your licensing review.
