Ultimately, the responsibility of the playground operation of the child care centre is the owner/operator. This includes the initial purchase and continuous maintenance of the playground. By involving professionals, the child care owner/operator is able to receive advice and assistance in making decisions from others such as an inspector, a consultant, or a contractor.

The owner/operator is responsible for choosing the style of equipment, the installation and the maintenance. A certificate of compliance to the Standard and a statement of warranty to cover any shortfall in compliance with the Standard should be required prior to any work being done. The certificate should state specifically which version of the Standard the play structure is in compliance with and for what period of time and under what conditions.

The owner/operator is responsible for the installation and maintenance of a protective surface within the protective surfacing zone of play equipment. The surface must be impact absorbing and there are specific test methods to determine the performance of the surface. These tests require the protective surface to achieve a certain impact measurement much the same way a hockey or football helmet would have to sustain a certain impact without causing a serious injury to the user.