The answer to this question depends on the age range of the swing and whether it is for residential (backyard) or commercial (public) use. Here are the spacing recommendations provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in their guides on playground safety.
Residential Swing Sets
- 8" minimum for swings with limited sideways motion
- 24" minimum between swings with unlimited lateral motion (such as disk swings) and support poles when measured from the side of the swing perpendicular to the plane formed by the support poles
- 8" minimum between the protective surfacing and the underside of a suspended unit
Commercial Swing Sets
- Toddler Swings
- 20" minimum between swing hangers
- 20" minimum of clearance between other swings at 5' and down
- 24" minimum between the protective surfacing and the underside of toddler swings
- 30" minimum between swing and support poles when measured from the side of the swing perpendicular to the plane formed by the support poles
- Preschool-age and School-age Swings
- 20" minimum between swing hangers
- 24" minimum of clearance between other swings at 5' and down
- 12" minimum between the protective surfacing and the underside of preschool-age and school-age swings
- 20" minimum between swing and support poles when measured from the side of the swing perpendicular to the plane formed by the support poles
