FEATURE FOCUS: HEALTH & SAFETY Laceration


School playground equipment shouldn’t have any accessible sharp edges, or any rough surfaces that are likely to corrode or splinter.


Entrapment


There shouldn’t be any openings, moving parts or protrusions that could potentially trap hair, clothing or body parts.


Falls


You should minimise opportunities for very young or less able children to access equipment with steep or sudden differences in height. The standard contains requirements for the provision of handrails, guardrails, barriers or narrow openings at higher levels. Include impact absorbing surfaces beneath any equipment item with a fall height in excess of 600mm. The standards are voluntary, but adhering to the standard can satisfy insurers and show that an organisation has taken all reasonable steps to reduce the risk of serious injury. Although this does not have a legal mandate - the Health & Safety at Work Act does make clear that the owner of the playground is liable for any injuries caused by not following the regulations. BS EN 1176 also acts as a checklist to ensure that organisations don’t forget any key safety points and recommends inspections by a qualified inspector.


There are three types of inspection defined in the standard and all require some element of training, certification or qualification in order to carry out a legitimate and legally sound check on the equipment. They are:


Routine inspection


Looking at the basic condition of the equipment, especially faults due to recent vandalism, breakages and also the cleanliness of the playground. These inspections can be carried out by the school and should be recorded on a simple sheet or book.


The equipment supplier should provide a checklist. Dependent on usage, these playground inspections should be carried out weekly as a minimum, but often daily is necessary.


Operational inspection


Looking in more detail at the condition of the equipment; providing a quality control check on the more regular inspections and identifying wear and tear on the equipment. Such inspections should be carried out by an appropriately trained member of staff or alternatively by a suitably qualified specialist and should be recorded. These inspections should be carried out on a quarterly basis as a minimum, but often monthly is necessary.


A qualified inspector can carry out these playground inspections for you, or a qualifying body can provide in-house training courses for your own inspectors.


The RPII runs a course specifically for school staff to give them the understanding and qualification to undertake both routine and operational inspections.


Annual inspection


The annual inspection should be carried out by an independent specialist not connected with the school. Essentially looking at vandalism, wear and tear, long term structural problems, standards compliance and design, along with risk assessment etc. This report essentially covers the overall safety of the playground.


In addition to these regular inspections, your playground should have a full inspection as soon as it is completed and before children are allowed to play in the space. This is called a Post Installation Inspection and should be carried out by someone independent from the company you have commissioned to manufacture and install the equipment.


Jon Dalton said: “I sometimes work as an expert witness and have been called on to give evidence in legal actions involving injuries on playgrounds.


“If the equipment hasn’t met the standards - or if the inspectors are not qualified - this can result in a very negative result for the owner of the playground and has led to some large payouts.” School playgrounds are fun places to be, but staff, parents and children need to be sure that playground safety standards have been considered and met through regular playground inspections.


Any organisation that manages a children’s 32 www.education-today.co.uk April 2024


play area must take responsibility for the overall safety of the equipment in place. All regulating bodies see the need not only to install to safe standards but also to see to it that the same standards are adhered to throughout the entire period of equipment use.


Play equipment will only continue to function safely if it is properly inspected and maintained. Whether you need a routine, operational or annual playground inspection, qualified safety experts and RPII registered inspectors will be available to help.


Playground manufacturers and installers should be committed to providing an efficient service, reducing potential risks and giving staff, parents and pupils the peace of mind that the equipment is safe to use and can be freely enjoyed. Playground inspection services should be commissioned to ensure that equipment is inspected, maintained and assessed to a number of different standards. All inspectors should be DBS checked and fully qualified to the necessary levels by the RPII.


Inspection companies should provide a full written report detailing the results and findings of the playground inspection for each piece of playground equipment; clear images should be provided to identify the problems, and each problem should be risk assessed. Where necessary, recommendations will be made for any maintenance that is required to improve the condition and ensure it complies with BS EN 1176 to reduce the risk of accidents. When you are speaking to providers of playground equipment you need to be sure that they are able to demonstrate that they are providing equipment that is fully up to British and European Standards and that their installers’ work will be inspected by a qualified person who is not part of the same business.


A reputable provider will be able (and willing) to organise an independent Post Installation Inspection from an RPII qualified Annual inspector as soon as the equipment is installed. This is the only way to be sure that the playground has been installed in accordance with the standards. Installers signing off their own work is not good practice and is something which could lead to significant problems in the future.


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