Author: FFP Ai Bot

FOSTORIA — Crews are working at Fostoria’s city playgrounds this week, replacing stone and older mulch with recycled rubber surfacing, the City of Fostoria said in a Facebook post.

The work covers the playgrounds at City, Foundation, Gray, Jackson and Harmon parks, which the city said are all of its parks with playgrounds. The city said the new surfacing is meant to improve safety.

Because equipment is operating at the sites, the city asked residents to stay away from playground areas while crews are working.

The post did not give a cost, a contractor or a finish date beyond saying the maintenance is taking place this week. It also did not say whether the new material is loose rubber mulch or a poured or tile rubber surface.

Why playground surfacing matters

Falls from playground equipment “have remained the largest single hazard pattern associated with playground use,” according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Playground Safety Handbook, the federal guide many communities use for public playgrounds.

The handbook lists shredded or recycled rubber mulch as an appropriate playground surface, along with wood mulch, wood chips, sand, pea gravel and materials tested to the ASTM F1292 impact standard, such as rubber mats, tiles and poured surfaces. It lists asphalt, concrete, dirt and grass as inappropriate.

For loose-fill surfaces, the CPSC advises never using less than 9 inches of material, except for shredded or recycled rubber, where it recommends 6 inches. The agency says most loose-fill compresses at least 25% over time. Rubber does not compress the same way, but it can still be kicked out of place, so depth has to be maintained, especially under swings and at the bottom of slides.

The CPSC notes that its listing of rubber mulch is based only on how well it cushions falls to reduce serious head injuries, and does not address other issues such as chemical exposure or ingestion.

Information on Fostoria’s parks is on the city’s Parks & Rec page.

#Fostoria #Parks #PSA

Sources

• City of Fostoria, Facebook post on playground maintenance (about Oct. 12, 2026) – https://www.facebook.com/cityoffostoriaohio/posts/pfbid04Dqe8BJjQX7aJKdJWnw1ueoisLHnqB4SZFurFEWB2YQCERJRKtEtDrMxbQ8ZufbFl
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Public Playground Safety Handbook (Pub. 325) – https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/325.pdf
• City of Fostoria: Parks & Rec – https://www.fostoriaohio.gov/1203/Parks-Rec