Commercial Swing Sets

Commercial swing sets are primarily designed for use at public parks and playgrounds, private and public schools, daycare centers, apartment building courtyards, condo associations, club facilities, and the like. Quite frequently families who strive for extra longevity and added durability for prolonged and enjoyable usage will purchase commercial swing sets for their own backyards.

Commercial swing sets come in a wide range of models and various sizes to fit and accommodate different age groups and provide esthetic beauty to their environment.

Due to the high and often abusive traffic that commercial swing sets must endure, they are massively constructed of only the strongest and most reliable heavy-duty materials available. Furthermore, the metals, woods, and polymers used in the design, construction, and assembly of commercial swing sets are all treated to withstand the most adverse weather conditions.

Being targeted toward the public at large, commercial swing sets must meet the most rigorous safety requirements. There can never be a question in anyone’s mind as to the importance of safety, and safety always begins with the right equipment. Commercial swing sets must meet specific and identifiable commercial design standards. Simply upgrading vertical post sizes and using larger bolts is not sufficient and does not convert a lower-grade swing set to a commercial one. As is true for all commercial equipment, commercial swing sets must meet the safety standards and guidelines for commercial public play equipment set by the American Society for Testing and Materials. The ASTM is an independent organization that develops technical standards used in product testing, i.e., the F1487 Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specifications for Playground Equipment for Public Use.

It is crucially important to remember that unless swing sets are used solely by a single family in their own backyard, they are than commercial. And if they are indeed commercial and are used in public settings such as parks and playgrounds, schools, daycare centers, apartment building courtyards, condo associations, and club facilities, only truly commercial swing sets are to be considered.

The following is an easy-to-remember list of indicative signs that the swing sets in question are NOT in fact commercial:

• Swing sets must be freestanding with their own exclusive safe fall zone. If the swings are attached to the climber units these are NOT commercial swing sets.
• If more than two swings appear in a single swing bay or if mixed swing types such as belt swing seats and tot swing seats appear in a single swing bay, these are NOT commercial swing sets.
• A tire swing must be freestanding and not attached to any other structure unless it is part of a freestanding multi-bay swing set. Otherwise, this is NOT a commercial swing set.
• If radial tires are used instead of solid plastic tires specifically designed for the tire swings this is NOT a commercial swing set.
• Usage of single wall or half tube slides do not offer the required transition zones at the bottom that safely brings the child to a stop before reaching the end of the slide. This is a very important safety feature which is absolutely needed when children slide head first and its absence deems this swing set NOT commercial.
• Hardware on commercial swing sets must be tamperproof and not easily removable with common household tools. If the swing set has nuts and bolts that are readily found in local hardware stores, this swing set does not meet current safety guidelines and is NOT considered commercial.

Now that we all know how to distinguish commercial swing sets, let’s just swing and have fun.