This page should help you to understand the technical information provided on this website

BS EN 1176 safer surfacing requirements:

If free height of fall is over 600mm, surfacing giving a sufficient CFH is required.
Surfacing giving a sufficient CHF, i.e. exceeding the free height of fall of the unit must cover the whole of the impact area.
If free height of fall is below 600mm equipment can be installed on grass or a wear and tear surface.
Any Play Equipment, regardless of fall height, should not be installed directly onto concrete or tarmac.

	Loosefill Area
	Impact Area
	Free Space
	Unit Spacing Boundary

Loosefill Area

This line shows the extent of loosefill safer surfacing required for this unit, also the minimum area required. If loosefill surfacing is used it must be installed to a layer thickness of 200mm more than the thickness found to give sufficient Critical Fall Height (CFH).

This is to allow for displacement through use. All loosefill materials specified by Playdale have been tested to BS EN 1176 and give sufficient CFH for 100mm thickness, therefore 300mm is specified.

Critical Fall Height:
The limit of free height of fall for which the surfacing provides acceptable levels of impact absorbency.

Back to top

Impact Area

The area that can be hit by a user after falling through the falling space.

The extent of the impact area is dependent on the free height of fall.
If the free height of fall is between 0.6m and 1.5m the extent of the impact area = 1.5m.
If free height of fall is between 1.5 and 3m, the extent of the impact area increases proportionately according to the adjacent table.

Free Height Of Fall	Extent Of Impact Area
under 1.5m	1.5m
1.5m	1.5m
1.6m	1.57m
1.7m	1.63m
1.8m	1.70m
1.9m	1.77m
2.0m	1.83m
2.1m	1.90m
2.2m	1.97m
2.3m	2.03m
2.4m	2.10m
2.5m	2.17m
2.6m	2.23m
2.7m	2.30m
2.8m	2.37m
2.9m	2.43m
3.0m	2.50m

Note 1: Extent of impact area must allow for movement of equipment i.e. chains and ropes at full stretch.

Note 2: Impact areas for specific types of equipment i.e. swings, slides, runways, carousels and rocking equipment have different requirements from the above.

Falling Space:
The space in, on or around the equipment that can be occupied by a user falling from an elevated part of the equipment.

Back to top

Free Space

The space in, on or around the equipment that can be occupied by a user undergoing a movement forced by the equipment (i.e. swinging, sliding, rocking).

Back to top

Unit Spacing Boundary

Line used to enable correct spacing of more than one unit.

Guidelines on spacing of play units to BS EN 1176:
Area required should be taken as the loosefill edging board shown on plans.

Equipment should be positioned a minimum of 1.8m away from fencing, walls, trees, etc.

Fencing, walls, trees, etc MUST NOT be inside the impact area. This means that fencing around high fall height units need to be more than 1.8m away from equipment.

Impact areas of two adjacent units CAN overlap.

Free spaces and impact areas MUST NOT overlap.

Unit spacing boundaries MUST NOT overlap.

The unit spacing boundary has been positioned 1.25m from the extremity of the equipment, allowing for movement.
Therefore two linked units will be at least 2.5m apart.
Please note that the above rule does not apply to Adventure Trail units, which are designed to be linked by log walks.

Edging
Rule 1: Raised edging MUST be positioned outside the impact area and a minimum of 1.8m from the extremity of the equipment, allowing for movement of moving parts, i.e. chains, ropes, etc.
Rule 2: Flush edging should be positioned outside the impact area and a minimum of 1.0m from the extremity of the equipment, allowing for movement of moving parts, i.e. chains, ropes, etc

Back to top