2026 Spring Certified Playground Safety Inspector Course and Exam

Class - Wednesday and Thursday, May 27, 28, 2026
Exam - Friday, May 29, 2026
 
Registration Fees:
Workshop & Exam: $595 Member/$720 Non-member
Workshop Only: $495 Member/$595 Non-member
Exam Only: $100 Member/$125 Non-member

Are your Playgrounds Safe? 
According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, 200,000 children are treated annually for playground accidents. Of these, 70 percent, or 140,000, occurred at public parks and schoolyards. 

About the Course 
Sponsored by the NRPA and hosted by the Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society, this course is the most comprehensive training program on playground hazard identification and risk management methods offered. Advanced reading and ten hours of training will prepare you to sit for the Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) Exam, scheduled at the culmination of the certification course.

The CPSI Course trains individuals to identify hazards on public playgrounds and playground equipment, how to rank hazards according to injury potential, and how to apply that knowledge and establish a playground safety program. The course covers the material necessary to pass the Certified Playground Safety Inspector certification exam. 

Upon completion of the CPSI course an individual should be capable of establishing a sound risk reduction program, establish a system repair, retrofit, and removal of hazardous equipment, and establish a routine inspection system for their agency or playground owner-client. Resource materials developed especially for this course are included in the registration fee and will be mailed to all participants who pre-register. 

What is Included?

• CPSI Manual & Field Guide including: 
• ASTM F1487-11 Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification of Playground for Public Use 
• Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Handbook 
• 1.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) toward CPSI recertification (NRPA) 
• Playground Inspection
• Lunch and refreshment breaks on days 1 and 2 

Who Should Attend

• Administrators 
• Supervisory Personnel 
• Public Works Departments 
• Building and Grounds Maintenance Staff 
• Engineers and Architects 
• Playground Equipment Representatives 
• Operators and Caretakers of Playgrounds in Parks, Schools, Summer Camps, Day Camps, Hotels/Resorts, and Day Care Centers 
• Agencies such as YMCA/YWCA, Head Start, Boys & Girls Clubs, and Police Athletic Leagues 
• Insurance Adjusters and Loss Control Specialists 
• Homebuilders 
• Landscape Architects

Schedule
Day 1 (instruction) - 8:00 am - 5:00 pm 
Day 2 (instruction and virtual inspection) - 8:00 am - 5:00 pm 
Day 3 (Exam) - 9:00 am - 11:15 am 

Location and Lodging
The CPSI class will be held in the meeting room at Upper Allen Township Municipal Building. The facility is near highways 76 and 15 and free parking is available on site. Restaurants, shopping and lodging are all nearby.

Location
Upper Allen Township Municipal Building
100 Gettysburg Pike.
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
717-766-0756

Lodging Information
Lodging arrangements for participants are being coordinated with the Comfort Inn, Mechanicsburg. King and double rooms are $ 83.00 + tax per night, and all guests receive a complimentary breakfast buffet, free Wi-Fi, and parking. The hotel is just a short distance from the Upper Allen Community Center and near several restaurants. Please use the link below or call 717-766-3700 and mention “PRPS” to get the special rate.

Comfort Inn Mechanicsburg
1012 Wesley Drive
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
(717) 766-3700 (mention PRPS) 

CPSI Group Rate Click Here.

Meet the Instructor
The Certified Playground Safety Inspector Course (CPSI) instructor team is comprised of the top playground safety professionals in the United States. CPSI instructors have diverse backgrounds in playground safety consultation, manufacturing, installation and education. CPSI instructors are consistently rated as excellent by students. 

General Information 
Workshop registration includes resource materials, breaks and lunch on days 1 and 2. Course materials will be mailed to participants approximately two weeks before the session.  Register Early!

Registration Deadline 
Please register early, we send out books once we have the minimum number of participants registered. NRPA does not recommend taking the exam without thoroughly reading the materials. In some cases, studying for the course in less than 3 weeks leads to exam failure. No walk-ins are allowed for the course or exam. 

Age and Education Requirement 
Candidates sitting for the CPSI Certification examination must be 18 or older and hold a high school diploma or equivalent. Your legal identification will be verified upon entry into the examination site. 

Class Size 
The minimum course size is 25; the maximum is 50. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.

Certification 
The certification exam will be given on day 3. Those passing the exam will be added to a National Registry of Certified Playground Safety Inspectors. Certification is valid for 3 years and may be renewed by re-examination or by accumulating 2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), one each in the Core Competency Groups.

· Group A- Hazard ID, Risk Management

· Group B- Surfacing, Playground Equipment, Audit, Inspection & Maintenance

Each CEU equals 10 hours of continuing education. The CPSI Course provides .8 CEUs for Group A and .7 CEUs for Group B.

In order to properly accommodate all individuals with disabilities, it is recommended that requests be submitted in writing no less than 30 days prior to the course and exam. 

Cancelation Policy 
PRPS will refund your registration, less a $25 processing fee, if your cancellation is received in writing before course materials are shipped (note: PRPS ships course materials as soon as they are received from NRPA and cannot guarantee shipping dates). After materials are shipped, cancellations are subject to an additional $285 fee.

No refunds can be made for cancellations less than 30 days prior to the beginning of the course. 

To Register:
1: Sign in or create a new account. 
2: Select registration option
3: Add session selections to your itinerary
4: Proceed to checkout to complete transaction.