Is this product suitable/safe for a playground area?

Oh god yes! I have it around my in-ground pool and walk on it a lot. It's awesome stuff! Use the chunks or cubes, not the flakes for playground areas.

Absolutely! It is one of the best and most suitable protections for play areas. It protects falls better than regular playground mulch and it does not mold or attract bugs. It's expensive, but does not decompose therefore does not need to be replenished year after year. From what I've read it's also non toxic if ingested. We installed around our play area last year and I couldn't be happier! Be careful though about buying just any rubber mulch if you choose a different brand or supplier. We first purchased rubber mulch from a local company by the scoop for the play area only to find they delivered landscape grade which contained wires from radial tires. We had them pick it up and cxl'd the rest of of the order. I haven't had that problem with this mulch though.

Yes

OF COURSE