Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Certification Policy Manual
DCF 202.08(2)(e)3. Structures such as playground equipment, railings, decks, and porches accessible to children and built with CCA-treated lumber shall be sealed with an oil-based sealant or stain at least every 2 years.
DCF 202.08(2)(e)4. Wood treated with creosote or pentachlorophenol, including railroad ties, may not be used in areas accessible to children.
Most wood sold for outdoor use in the United States between 1975 and 2003 has been pressure treated with chromated copper arsenate.
Young children more at risk of exposure to CCA because they spend more time playing outdoors and engage in frequent hand-to-mouth activities.
In 2003, the EPA arranged a voluntary agreement with manufacturers of wood treatment chemicals to remove lumber treated with CCA from most residential construction uses.
More common treated lumber today:
ACQ (Alkaline Copper Quartenary)
Copper Azole (CA)
Micronized Copper Quaternary (MCQ)
Children may also be exposed to CCA in contaminated soil when playing under these structures by touching the contaminated soil with their hands and then placing them in their mouths.
Lumber tags now indicate the type of treatment used and the amount used.
Certification workers monitor for compliance with the standard using observation/inspection, verbal/written attestation, receipts, or other documentation that is acceptable to the certification worker.
Resources/Information:
Pressure-treated wood use in playground equipment
Treated
wood products - Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services
CCA
Pressure-Treated Wood Chromated Copper Arsenate - Guidance for outdoor
wooden structures
Toxic Substances Portal - Creosote (FAQ)
Toxic Substances Portal - Pentachlorophenol
This page last updated 01/2020.