Do I Need Playground Safety Surfacing?

It would be easy for us to say that you always need some form of safety surfacing, but rather than relying on our advice, why don’t we just tell you what the UK guidelines state?

Overview

BS EN 1177 sets out test methods for determining the impact attenuation of playground surfacing. Falls from playground equipment can result in a range of injuries, with head injuries among the most serious, so the standard uses measurements from a headform impact test to assess the performance of the surface.

The test method essentially drops a headform from a test height onto the surface being tested. This allows the testers to calculate a Head Injury Criterion (HIC) value.

On the basis of available data, the HIC tolerance level of 1,000 has been used as an upper limit within the test method. By measuring HIC, the test provides a way of assessing the impact attenuation performance of the surface and determining its Critical Fall Height (CFH).

The Critical Fall Height is determined from the impact test results and is used to assess whether a surface provides the required level of impact attenuation for the Free Height of Fall of the play equipment.

So what does this really mean for your surfacing?

Height of equipment / CFH

When looking at possible falling distances from playground equipment, the current British Standard BS EN 1176-1:2017+A1:2023 refers to the Free Height of Fall, which is the greatest vertical distance from the clearly intended body support to the impact area below.

For equipment with a Free Height of Fall below 60cm, impact-attenuating surfacing is generally not required unless the equipment introduces forced movement.

Above 60cm, or where there is forced movement, impact-attenuating surfacing may be required and the performance of the surface needs to be considered in relation to the equipment. Where a Critical Fall Height applies, the surface should have a CFH at least equal to the relevant Free Height of Fall.

Total Area Required

For many items of static play equipment, the impact area extends at least 1.5m around the relevant elevated parts of the equipment. Where the Free Height of Fall is greater than 1.5m, the required extent increases. Specific equipment such as swings, slides and other equipment involving forced movement can have additional requirements under the relevant parts of BS EN 1176.

For static equipment with a Free Height of Fall between 1.5m and 3.0m, the general calculation for the extent of the impact area is the Free Height of Fall multiplied by 2/3, plus 0.5 metres.

For example, with a 3 metre Free Height of Fall: (3 × 2/3) + 0.5 = 2.5 metres. The impact area would therefore extend at least 2.5 metres from the relevant part of the equipment, subject to any additional requirements that apply to the particular equipment.

Our Safety Matting

You are in good hands with Grassmats if you are looking for a safety surface on grass!

Our playground safety matting has been independently tested for impact attenuation in accordance with EN 1177:2018. In the test conditions, our 22mm Rubber Grass Mat installed on a mature natural grass sub-base recorded an impact attenuation result in excess of 3 metres.

Because the mat works in combination with natural materials such as grass and soil, actual performance can vary with the site, installation, maturity and climatic conditions. The test certificate therefore notes that the Critical Fall Height of an installed system can only be accurately determined by an on-site test on a mature, fully established installation.

Our certificate relates to testing carried out to EN 1177:2018, while the current British adoption of the standard is BS EN 1177:2018+A1:2023. The required Free Height of Fall should be established as part of the play equipment design in accordance with BS EN 1176, and the surfacing performance considered against that requirement.

Grassmats’ playground safety matting has also been tested for slip resistance (EN 13036-4:2011) and ease of ignition using the hot metal nut method (BS 4790:1987), and met the requirements recorded on our test certificate.