There are a number of requirements and precautions you should take both before and after installation of any proposed equipment to minimise risk but it is of course never possible to remove the element of risk entirely. These points should be considered in conjunction with our data sheet 'sportsequip's Fitness Trails and BSEN16630' which covers the requirements of the European Standard for ''Permanently installed outdoor fitness equipment. Safety requirements and test methods'.

Users

In line with BSEN16630 our ranges of Stretch Stations, Gym, Fitness and PT Trails equipment are designed for, and are of a size and scale for use by teenagers and adults. It is not suited to children under 14 or anyone smaller than 1.4m tall. It is not children's play equipment and is not therefore within the scope of the European standards for play equipment or play surfacing. Nor should it be located near any play equipment.

Equipment Choice

We categorise our Fitness Trail equipment into groups of low level and high level equipment. If the equipment selected is all low level, our Gym Trail range, it obviously reduces the risk of falls from height although most trails usually include a mix of both low and high level equipment to add interest and challenge. Items grouped into the Physical Training or PT Trail category we consider only suitable for supervised use within secure areas. These are generally for use by institutions such as the military, and incorporate exercises that either involve users getting dirty or that fall outside the scope of BSEN16630. So we do not recommend any PT exercise stations for unsupervised or public use.

Some of our equipment is static, others have moving parts. Generally, by design, by eliminating moving parts the static equipment is lower risk. Static equipment requires little or no maintenance as components will not wear out.

Risk Assessments

We suggest prior to purchase that clients conduct an initial risk assessment. This should be documented and cover the route of the trail and the considered selection of the exercise stations. It should take into account any hazards along the way such as uneven areas of ground, tree roots and low branches, proximity to access roads and vehicle hazards, along with proximity to any playground provision and any site specific identifiable hazards. To minimise risk if necessary initially considered equipment positions can be re-located and any foreseeable potential problems arising addressed to make usage and the access to and from the equipment and the areas it is installed on as safe as possible.

Costings

We suggest you initially have a look through our Fitness Trail product ranges and our full Fitness Trail product data sheets,  and select any exercise stations you specifically want to include. Then once you have considered all the options please contact our sales office on [email protected] or phone 01858 545789 and we can discuss your requirements in detail and put together a proposal and estimate including all necessary installation, signs and surfacing perhaps to meet a fixed budget figure you have in mind. If the scheme is more than speculative or you are looking to proceed then we can arrange a site visit and/or a firm fixed quotation.

Other important considerations that relate directly to BSEN16630 including Location, Signs, Surfacing and Inspections & Maintenance are covered within our data sheet 'sportsequip's Fitness Trails and BSEN16630'.

November 2018

 

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