Children’s safety is in the first place!
Children’s play equipments should be safe! In order to make safe equipments, one should observe Latvia’s standard LVS EN 1176. The standard accepts the importance of development in toys which have some kind of challenge. It is believed that children want risks, thus the standard is made to avoid possibilities of children getting injuries which can lead to invalidity or lethal outcomes, as well as to reduce the possibilities for children to get hurt in cases when he/she makes a wrong decision about his/her abilities. This standard of course cannot prevent all possible accidents. That is the reason why, in order to reduce the risk of younger children or teenager getting injured, parents’ or any other adults’ supervision is considered as very important.
The Standard also mentions self-evident things about the quality of materials, potential risks of getting stuck or tripping, distances and heights which can be dangerous when the equipment is used.
During the installation and maintenance of play elements (playgrounds) it is very important to observe the Standard EN 1177 of Latvia – this standard relates to the surface which is used under play elements. Every free-fall height should have a corresponding surfacing which guarantees a safe landing. One should take into consideration the risks of getting stuck in such cases when the surfacing is not flat or when during the usage there might be sand banks.
The most popular surfacing materials are mulch, sand and rubber. All of them have pros and cons. The most popular is sand surfacing. It is comparatively cheap and easily decked but one should remember that one must take a good care of it because rubbish and dirt pile up in it, and in rainy weather the surfacing turns into mud. Moreover, sand is natural sandpaper and when children play in it they accidentally sand down the steps and walking surfaces of the playground, and they tend to deteriorate faster and they need to be painted more often. Neither playgrounds which are made of metal, nor even those which are made of plastic are protected from that.
Very common is mulch, but its upper layer should be changed at least twice a year and it, just like sand, piles up rubbish. If the surfacing made of mulch is located in alee then there is a risk of mulch starting to decompose. If it is in a windy place then in summer it can be set on fire even from one inconsiderately dropped cigarette end.
The most suitable and easily maintainable surfacing material is rubber. The only drawbacks are that it costs quite a lot and it can be installed only on a specially prepared surface – either on tamped splinters, sand or old asphalt. A surfacing that is just placed on the ground will last only for a short period of time.
In the graphic placed underneath you can see all the possible fall heights and the recommended thickness for the rubber surfacing in accordance with the corresponding standard EN 1177.
In collaboration with the manufacturers of rubber granule we offer installation of this surfacing.
