Internationally aligned Playground Equipment Standard released

Standards Australia has published the long-awaited, internationally aligned Playground Equipment Standard AS 4685-2014.

The new Standard is based on the European Standard for Playground Equipment EN 1176:2008 (Parts 1 to 6 and 11) with changes that reflect Australian requirements and practice.

Specifically, it addresses the fall height, protection from falling, fall zones, entrapment and a number of other hazardous situations based on international injury data with some minor deviations that take account of specific Australian safety and design requirements such as higher UV exposure..

Commenting on the introduction of the Standard just prior to his retirement last year, then Standards Australia Chief Executive Colin Blair stated "the adoption of this standard will allow Australian children to enjoy the health and safety benefits of being able to play in play spaces that are designed, manufactured, and installed to world’s best practice."

The new Standard also allows playground equipment manufacturers in Australian and overseas to trade with reduced barriers.

Coinciding with the recent launch of the new Standard, Dr David Eager, Chairperson of Standards Australia Indoor Play Areas ME/051-03 Committee, has written widely on the new Standard, and how it applies from its publication date.

Eager recently explained "the new Playground Equipment Standard is not intended to provide risk-free play environments, but rather to specify the minimal acceptable standard for playground equipment.

"The new Standard takes into account developmental and anthropometric data specific to children, sets out general safety requirements for playground equipment, and incorporates a number of internationally recognised risk management strategies for injury prevention."

"Another prime objective of the new Playground Equipment Standard is to minimise risk of injury to children using playgrounds by providing internationally aligned general safety requirements for playground equipment.

The new Standard is for use by designers, consultants, manufacturers and installers of playground equipment as well as operators, inspectors and maintenance professionals of playgrounds.

University of Technology Sydney, where Dr Eager is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering, is holding a one day seminar providing an overview of the new Playground Standard on Thursday 8th May.

For details of the seminar, go to https://www.uts.edu.au/short-courses/1421

Australian Standards are available through SAI Global at www.saiglobal.com/shop

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