ISA Sport tests 5,000 m2 playing surface

In the last few months, fifteen new playgrounds have been built in two residential areas and the airport of the American military base in Wiesbaden. ISA Sport tested the safety of the surface under the playground equipment.

The surface for the playground equipment, measuring 5,000 m2 in total, was supplied by Polytan, a large manufacturer of synthetic turf sports pitches, athletics tracks and playground surfaces. Their product FS soft-impact was installed in a wide variety of thicknesses and colours.

Because the military base is classed as US territory, there is an even greater emphasis on safety requirements and liability in the event of accidents. A condition of the tender was that production certificates had to be available, based on laboratory testing.

Furthermore, the American principal wanted absolute certainty with regard to the quality and the critical impact-attenuating value of the playground surfaces. Following laboratory testing at ISA Sport, there was sufficient confidence that ISA Sport could provide that certainty by means of extensive testing of the installed surfaces on location.

The Head Injury Criteria Test (HIC value) and G-max test (absorption) were used to determine the relationship between the free fall height of the playground equipment and the critical fall height of the playground surfaces in Wiesbaden. The results were positive, and the children of US soldiers in Wiesbaden can play safely to their hearts’ content.

For more information: frank.vanhattem@isa-sport.com, +31 (0)26-4834603.