As we mentioned in our previous newsletter, the new version of the EN 1176 standards comes into force as from next May.

The first change in the standards that we would like to feature, relates to surfacing requirements for slides.

Before:

The surfacing was defined in the following way:
- 1 metre on each side of the slide and 2 metres around the exit zone
- The overall FFH had to be at least 1 m

Now:

The calculation for the surfacing has changed in the following way:

Slides are now covered by the resources concerning the definition of the impact zone as specified in EN 1176-1.

For a free fall height X of more than 1.5 m, the minimum size of the impact zone Y is 2/3 x + 0.5 (m), while for a free fall height of between 0.6 and 1.5 m, the distance Y is 1.5 m.

To add to this, an impact zone over a distance of at least 1 m on the sides and 2 m at the front has to be installed at the exit point, with a minimum FFH of 1 m (i.e. where the fall height from the slide is less than 0.6 m).