RoSPA Play Safety : FAQs
Inspections & Standard Compliance
1. Do I need an annual inspection?
EN1176 requires an independent annual inspection. Also the Health and Safety Executive also strongly recommended them. In many cases it is also a requirement of the Insurance Companies. It is not compulsory to have one but lack of an annual inspection may also prejudice your position in case of legal action after an accident.
2. What sort of regular inspections should we be carrying out?
We recommend conducting a regime of weekly recorded inspections of the play area, looking for very obvious faults, and a monthly, more detailed inspection should also be undertaken. This can easily be undertaken by volunteers and we can provide, if requested (cost £20 plus VAT) the relevant check list relating to your play area when we undertake your annual inspection. Our Information Sheets give more details on inspections. It is important that the fact that these inspections have taken place is recorded and the records kept for ideally a minimum of 15 years (we keep ours for 21 years).
3. What is a post installation inspection?
We strongly recommend that when a new site is installed that it be a condition of contract that payment is made after a satisfactory Post Installation Inspection is carried out. This is a much more detailed inspection than an annual inspection and ensures that the new site not only meets all the safety standards but has been installed correctly and that you are getting what you have paid for and will not have excessive future maintenance bills due to poor quality. Post-Installation Inspections Information Sheet.
4. Is compliance with EN1176 compulsory?
No. There is no legislation which says that you must comply. Compliance is however good practice and shows that you are exercising your legal "duty of care". Certainly you should require any supplier of new equipment to confirm that it meets EN1176. Older equipment may well not meet EN1176. However in this case it is the safety of the item which is paramount. That is why RoSPA always indicates the risk associated with any standard failure in their inspection reports. As a rule of thumb, Low Risk failures only need monitoring to ensure that they do not develop into something more serious.
5. My supplier tells me that the equipment has a TüV Certificate. What does this mean?
TüV are a series of continental testing houses, somewhat similar to the British Standards Institute. TüV certificates normally indicate that the equipment is considered fit for the purpose for which it is designed. They do not guarantee compliance with EN1176 but a TüV certificate normally means that the equipment is acceptable. It is equivalent to the British Kitemark. Neither the BSI Kitemark or a TüV certificate guarantees that the equipment, which is often assembled on site, meets the requirements of EN1176 when installed
6. What do your inspections cover
The Society's inspections cover :
- Site safety
- Suitability and conditions of ancillary items
- Standard compliance, suitability and condition of equipment
- Dimensional compliance, suitability and condition of surfacing
7. Why does the cost of an inspection vary depending upon the time of the year? In order to keep costs down we send a team of inspector through a county in a designated month. That way travel costs are reduced to a minimum and we can pass on the savings to our clients
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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