Whether you are considering installing a brand new playground climbing equipment such as a trim trail or upgrading your existing outdoor play areas, it is critical to use a surfacing solution that is appropriate for the fall height of the equipment to ensure the safety of your pupils.
Safety surfaces should be provided indoors or outside wherever the fall height is greater than 600mm (BS EN 1177). However, a school-specific risk assessment may deem it a safe practice to install a safety surface at fall heights below this requirement.
Appropriate impact-absorbing surfaces, such as wetpour rubber and artificial grass have been shown to reduce injuries. Suitable safety surfaces should be sourced for outdoor use, where required, to a depth of 300-400mm depending on the critical fall height. It should be free of entrapments, sharp edges or projections that could cause injury.
The recommended size of impact-absorbing surfaces increases in line with the critical fall height, typically:
| Critical Fall Height | Free Fall Space Needed |
| 1.5m | 1.5m diameter |
| 2.0m | 1.85m diameter |
| 2.5m | 2.15m diameter |
| 3.0m | 2.5m diameter |
