An antimicrobial coating used to neutralize microbes on high-risk surfaces in healthcare settings is being applied to playground equipment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coating, called PlayArmor from PlayPower, a manufacturer of playground recreational equipment, is comprised in part of silane quaternary ammonium — an organic contact-killing agent that penetrates a microbe’s cell wall, rupturing the membrane and subsequently killing it.

According to its developers, the coating can last up to 90 days between cleanings and reportedly withstood roughly 75 pressure washings in the lab before requiring re-application. In addition to binding to playground equipment, PlayArmor can also be applied to benches and picnic tables.

Designed to protect between daily cleanings that are only effective until a child or parent touches the equipment, the coating is safe for humans, animals and the environment and has also earned approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Developed in the wake of park closures throughout the world in response to the global pandemic, Play Armor’s manufacturers warn that the coating should be used in combination with social distancing and mask wearing to further prevent the spread of COVID-19, which is generally transmitted via respiratory droplets.

This coating joins a host of other surface coating technologies to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic including nanocoatings and plasma-derived coatings to prevent the surface transmission of COVID-19.