What is BS EN 1176 – Playground Equipment Standard?

Play areas are a great place for children to run, play, and climb, and it is of paramount importance to make sure that they are kept safe while doing so. As a quality assured company, Alpha Rail understands the need for high quality railings in these areas and manufactures metalwork that is compliant with relevant British Standards.

Therefore, in this blog post, we will discuss the requirements of BS EN 1176 as it has great importance.  

The BS EN 1176 talks about the requirements for playground equipment such as fencing and gates. Playground developers use it as a guide in order to develop a safe space for children that is compliant with the law. Not following such requirements can get developers in trouble when an accident happens. Thus, it is important to know all the safety standards. 

BS EN 1176 focuses on creating a safe playground. It maps out all the requirements that must be established for an appropriate railings system. It denotes the design and specification considerations when installing metal railings to a Children’s play area. To reduce the risk of entrapment between the infills, it states that the gap must not exceed 89mm as anything larger may allow for a small child to get their head stuck between the bars. There is also a shorter hoop at the top for the very same reason.

This is why the Playspec Bow Top Railings system is the perfect solution for schools, play areas and anywhere that may be frequented by children – they offer the looks of a traditional Bow Top railing whilst being a much safer design. Along with the specification for the 89mm gap between vertical infills, BS EN 1176 also mentions the following technical details:

• Railings must have a minimum height of 1000mm
• Posts must be capped
• Gates must not be installed in a position that opens on to an open road or other potentially hazardous environments
• Railings must not be installed in a position where they can be fallen on to from higher positions (benches, play equipment, tables)
• Gates must be self-closing to stop dogs accessing the area and to prevent children from swinging the gate and potentially striking another child

Alpha Rail has completed numerous projects all over the UK where there has been a requirement for Playspec bow top railings. We can also assist with on-site surveys – our specialist team of surveyors use industry leading equipment to calculate required quantities, rakes and curvatures.

All materials are galvanised to BS EN 1461 to protect against corrosion, followed by an optional polyester powder coated finish in a RAL colour of your choice, offering further durability. To learn more about our finish and colour options, click here.

If you would like to find out more about Playspec bow top and see image examples, visit the product page.