Guardrails and barriers should be high enough to prevent the tallest children from falling over the top. For guardrails, the lower edge should be low enough so that the smallest children cannot walk under it. Barriers should be low enough to prevent the smallest child from getting under the barrier in any way. This is generally done by designing the barrier so that the small torso probe (see test methods in Appendix B) cannot pass under or through the barrier. Vertical infill for protective barriers may be preferable for younger children because the vertical components can be grasped at whatever height a child chooses as a handhold. Guardrail and barrier recommendations are shown in Table 4. However, the recommendations do not apply if the guardrail or barrier would interfere with the intended use of the equipment, such as: • 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. Handbook for Public Playground Safety 21 Table 4. Guardrails and Barriers Guardrail Barrier Protects against accidental falls from platform Yes Yes Discourages climbing over No Yes Protects against climbing through No Yes Toddlers A Top edge distance from platform Not recommended A = 2 ” or higher B Bottom edge distance from platform Not recommended B < 3” H Recommended when platform fall height is: Not recommended H = 1 ” or higher Preschool-age A Top edge distance from platform A = 29” or higher A = 29” or higher B Bottom edge distance from platform 9” < B ≤ 23” B < 3.5” H Recommended when platform fall height is: 20” < H ≤ 30” H > 30” School-age A Top edge distance from platform A = 3 ” or higher A = 3 ” or higher B Bottom edge distance from platform 9” < B ≤ 2 ” B < 3.5” H Recommended when platform fall height is: 30” < H ≤ ” H > ” A B H B H A
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