Print this pageBS 1177 reduces the number of serious injuries in children's play areas
Formed in 1992, Middlesex-based market leader Matta Products (UK) manufactures, supplies and installs safety mat systems for children's sports and play areas.
The company has been responsible for thousands of installations nationwide, including work for numerous local authorities.
Its safety surfacing product, Safety Matta, is BS 1177-compliant. The standard specifies the requirements for children's playground surfacing and the methodology for its testing.
Victoria O'Brian of Matta Products explains how standards help her company to:
reduce the chances of children hurting themselves when falling from play equipment
limit the chances of a child sustaining a serious injury
Playground Injuries
Each year in the UK it has been estimated that more than 150,000 accidents take place in children's playgrounds. Most of these are minor mishaps - at worst leading to a bumped head, bruised elbow or grazed knee. However, hospital treatment is required in around 40,000 cases.
Victoria says:
"Playground accidents happen for numerous reasons. These include poor equipment design or installation, insufficient maintenance, failure to comply with standards, hazardous layout, lack of supervision, improper use of equipment, unsuitable clothing and excessive weather conditions. When a child falls, our surfacing products reduce the risk of serious injury."
The Legal Backdrop
Increased awareness, health and safety regulations and threat of legal action have led local authorities and businesses to upgrade safety at playgrounds and sports and leisure facilities.
Victoria says:
"Those responsible for playgrounds risk being sued for negligence if they fail to take reasonable care to ensure safety and limit the chance of accidents they could reasonably have foreseen."
Although there is no legislation relating directly to safety in children's playgrounds, relevant Acts of Parliament include Occupier's Liability Act (1957), Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999), Consumer Safety Act (1978) and the Consumer Protection Act (1987).
Although they do not provide immunity from legal action, courts frequently look for standards compliance as evidence of good practice.
Victoria says:
"Two standards are most relevant to children's playgrounds. BS EN 1176 is concerned with playground equipment, while BS EN 1177 concerns impact-absorbing surfaces."
Increasing Safety Through Standards
Without doubt, there would have been many more severe injuries if not for the giant steps that have been made in recent decades in playground equipment and safety surfacing. Standards help to ensure the quality of products in compliant children's playground remains high.
Victoria says:
"Many accidents involve children falling to the ground from play equipment. BS 1177 won't prevent the fall - BS 1176 [the technical standard for the safety of equipment] might - but once the child impacts with the ground, BS 1177-compliant surfacing reduces the likelihood of serious injury."
"Whereas once a child might have fallen on concrete or hard ground, our standard-compliant product cushions the blow, thereby reducing risk of serious injury.
"The surface's impact-absorbing performance needs to have a 'critical height' in excess of the maximum potential fall height. Critical height is the maximum height at which a head-first fall would be unlikely to result in critical cranial injury. As has been confirmed by independent testing, the critical height of Safety Mattas is 2.7 metres."
Mattas has invested heavily in research and development to ensure the products it offers are of excellent quality and fully comply with European and British standards.
Victoria says:
"When it comes to the safety of children, we take our role as playground safety surfacing specialists very seriously. Standards are a vital part of our success."
