Outdoor Play Area Inspections

For providers of outdoor children’s play equipment the current Standards adopted by the play industry are EN:1176 (play equipment) and EN:1177 (safety surfacing).

There is no specific legal requirement to provide inspection and maintenance programes but the British Standards Institute, the Health & Safety Executive, Insurers and the major safety organisations recommend inspections as "best practice".

Playground managers have a legal and moral responsiblity of care to children using the site - and at the same time need to meet the expectations of the courts.

A regular series of inspections is recommended for children's playgrounds:

Routine inspection (visual)

This looks at the equipment's basic condition, especially faults due to recent vandalism, breakages and cleanliness of the playground.  Inspections may be carried out by the manager or his/her staff and should be recorded on a simple sheet or book.  Frequency will vary with the site and local usage although weekly should be seen as a minimum.  This will depend on the risk assessment of the site - for example, a site on a housing estate prone to vandalism may require a daily check.  A remote site in the Scottish highlands may only need checking twice a year.

Application information on how to become an Routine inspector - click here
Operational inspection

A more detailed inspection of the equipment, providing a quality control check on the regular inspection and identifies certain types of minor wear and tear.  Such inspections may be carried out by the manager or his/her staff and should be recorded. The equipment supplier should provide a checklist. 

Application information on how to become an Operational inspector - click here
Annual inspection

Essentially it looks at vandalism, minor and major wear, long-term structural problems, changes in the Standards compliance and design practices, risk assessment etc. This should be carried out by a specialist not connected with the playground operator or manager giving an independent written report of the site(s).

Application information on how to become an Annual inspector - click here
Currently Registered Inspectors:

  • Outdoor Routine - Inspectors competent in carrying out daily or weekly visual inspections

  • Outdoor Operational - Inspectors competent in carrying out monthly or quarterly operational inspections

  • Outdoor Annual - Inspectors competent in carrying out annual and post installation inspections