Understanding safety standards for outdoor gym equipment

Permanently installed outdoor fitness equipment, for youths and adults over 1.4m tall, is subject to safety requirements and test methods.
These are set out under the British and European Standard BS EN 16630:2015.
This standard very clearly outlines a series of requirements buyers should be aware of when choosing to purchase outdoor gym equipment.

The standard BS EN 16630:2015 applies to equipment which is “intended for youths and adults or users having an overall height greater than 1400mm to promote fitness by using the equipment to exercise”.
Outdoor fitness products from the Sunshine Gym standard adults’ range, which falls under this category, has been independently tested and assessed to the BS EN 16630 standard. Certificates are available upon request. 
Equipment in the Sunshine Gym children’s range has been built to dimensions suitably proportioned for users under 1400mm tall.
Therefore the standard does not apply to this equipment. 
However our experienced technical management team has applied their own knowledge and understanding of the guidance to our children’s equipment designs.

At Sunshine Gym we work to exceptionally high safety and quality standards in everything we do from the supply of equipment, to the layout of an outdoor gym to the installation of both the equipment and appropriate surfacing.
The standard specifies that outdoor gym equipment should be free of shear points, crush points and sharp edges.
That’s why moving mechanisms are concealed within the framework of Sunshine Gym equipment.
These include safety stop systems to prevent users over extending the moving parts and losing control of the equipment.
Potential shearing points are considered to be spaces of 8mm to 60mm where moving parts cross each other. Again the design of our equipment ensures there are no spaces of this type.
Spaces which offer the potential for entrapment have also been eliminated from our designs, with caps and covers included which also enhance user comfort and extend the durability of the equipment.
Our gym design and installation teams will always ensure there is a minimum of 1.5m of clear space from the utmost extremity of each moving piece of the equipment.
Again, the correct positioning is essential for compliance with the BS EN 16630 standard. 
And, as the guidance demands, clear labelling and marking is provided to advise users how to operate the equipment and gives instructions as to who the equipment is intended for.
Contact details for Sunshine Gym are also featured on our strong, long-lasting stainless steel labels.

The BS EN 16630:2015 standard doesn’t apply to children’s equipment because it is not intended or designed for users greater than 1400mm in height.
However our commitment to safety means we have used our expertise to apply the guidance in the standard to our children’s range.
Crush and shear points as well as the potential for entrapment are all eliminated in the sturdy design and construction of the equipment.
Clear labelling is included.
And our design and installation service for children’s gyms ensures the same minimum 1.5m safety zone is in place around each piece of equipment.
In addition to this, BS EN 16630:2015  states quite clearly that outdoor gym equipment, built for users taller than 1.4m, is not playground equipment for children, and that adult outdoor gym equipment should not be installed in the immediate vicinity of a playground.
Therefore any public outdoor gyms designed by Sunshine Gym will always feature separate adults’ and children’s workout areas, to avoid confusion and to serve specific user needs.

The standard BS EN 16630:2015  advises that inspections are carried out at regular intervals to ensure the good maintenance of outdoor gym equipment.
Our inspection guide covers these responsibilities in more depth and it can be downloaded for free here.
In addition to this article we have also produced a more comprehensive overview of BS EN 16630:2015 and the terminology, requirements and advice within it.
This accompanies our operation and maintenance manual available on our website here and our series of buyer’s guides to ensure every customer is in a position to make informed decisions over their outdoor gym equipment investment.