Play is vital to human development. It teaches essential life lessons and skills, combining adventure and enjoyment, but it must be safe. In this regard, service providers can have peace of mind by adhering to Australian playground standards.
The safety of children using playground equipment is critically important to the companies offering such services. Their duty of protection and care extends to the children using their products. PLAYTEST gives you confidence that children are safe when playing on your equipment since we help you adhere to all the rules and regulations for playgrounds.
PLAYTEST strives to ensure safe playground areas for children Australia-wide. We provide a professional playground drop testing* service across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. Such testing is necessary, especially where equipment could present a risk of injury, hence the requirement for adherence to playground safety standards.
Our team of trained professionals uses the latest equipment to provide playground surface impact testing services with the least disruption and no damage to existing materials or surfaces.
Service providers are required to offer a safe playground experience. To determine if your equipment is safe for children, engage an accredited company for playground safety inspections and impact testing assessments. This confirms your compliance with the latest regulations regarding playground safety.
When we inspect a playground, our team conducts a thorough assessment to guarantee that your equipment complies with the 4685 and 4422 Australian standards (AS). User safety requires that indoor playground safety requirements are met and the necessary standards maintained. Play areas must be inspected regularly and monitored to meet the stipulated standards.
AS 4685 is the standard that includes guidelines for the manufacture, installation and maintenance of playground equipment and surfacing to ensure children’s safety while they play. It covers a range of equipment, such as swings, slides, climbing structures and spring-mounted equipment. As a guideline, it aims to minimise injury risks to children and provide a safe and enjoyable environment.
Introduced in 2004 and updated in 2021, AS 4585:2021 is the current standard in Australia for playground equipment. It’s aligned with the European standard to reflect global trends in playground child safety. AS 4585 requires playgrounds to be inspected at least every three years by laboratories meeting AS ISO/IEC 17025:
The drop test is an impact test to evaluate the safety and compliance of playground equipment. It is only one element of a comprehensive safety evaluation of playground equipment.
It is prudent to use the services of a professional drop testing company like PLAYTEST as we calibrate our test rigs per AS 4422:2016. In addition, we provide documentary proof of full compliance.
As a top softfall testing service provider in Australia, we conduct on-site softfall testing to ensure that a playground or softfall safety area complies with the current Australian Standards.
As a service provider, it is essential that you have a broad understanding of the test results and their implications. It is advisable to be present when a playground surface is installed so you can monitor progress from start to finish. A drop test can be performed after the installation to put your mind at rest.
Best practice stipulates that a drop test be carried out every three years to monitor how your solid playground surfacing performs, indicating its performance over its lifespan. At PLAYTEST, we desire all playground users to enjoy play as a form of self-expression. Our testing service guarantees an environment where children can do so safely.
