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On 25.08.2023 PIPA released a report into the safety handrails located on inflatable slides.
The report was conducted in response to an inspector question relating to a recent incident in Europe, where a child tragically lost its life by hanging on a webbing rope in the middle of a play zone inflatable. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family.
The inflatable in question was a FAIL under EN14960 as the webbing loop was located around 1,000mm from the bed. A tragedy which should never have happened, and we sincerely hope the manufacturers are held accountable.
As some of you may be aware, EN14960 requires a fully bound opening with a lower edge limit above 600mm from the platform to be tested using 2 head probes. One representing a child head, the other representing a child’s shoulders.The test involves 1 simple rule, if head probe 1 fits, The shoulder probe 2 must be able to follow to avoid a hanging risk.
The results can be simplified as follows:
- If shoulder probe 2 follows, it’s a PASS.
- If shoulder probe 2 doesn’t follow, it’s a FAIL.
In the case of Betterbounce slide handrails, and many other manufacturers, the lower edge limit of these handrails falls way under this 600mm, even when measured vertically from the platform rule so is NOT in an area that requires testing and as such has always been a PASS.
Afterall, the consequences of getting stuck at 500mm does not lead to hanging and according to BSEN14960 the child can remove itself freely without injury.
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As a result of the investigation, PIPA has suggested that the handrails in some cases can be a hindrance and suggest the inspector should question the relevance of handrails and consider if the use of handrails at the lower height and believe the slope magnifies the risk in some cases. This new PIPA report and subsequent guidance suggests to inspectors that they may wish to test the handrails and make an informed decision, despite them firmly complying with the regulations.
As a result of this new guidance, Betterbounce handrails may now fall into the new testing zone and as such, some testers may choose a FAIL when tested by PIPA. Please see the PIPA report for details, which shroud be published on www.pipa.org.uk shortly. Other manufacturers and organisations are likely to stick to the original guidance but please be aware just in case.
Warning: If you are the owner of a Betterbounce slide with webbing safety handrails manufactured between 2009 & 2023 there is a chance your handrails may fail on next years inspection. Please speak to your inspector immediately.
This also applies to the 400+ slides with currently active safety certificates and PIPA tags so please consult with your inspector as soon as possible.
This guidance affects all manufacturers and is not limited to Betterbounce Products.
Moving forward
Please rest assured that there are no recorded injury accidents by anyone in the industry for handrails falling above or below the 600mm limit, however we feel there is some merit in the report issued by PIPA and we feel that in the interest of industry safety, As always, we support the decisions of the PIPA and understand if our clients choose to adapt there own slides moving forward to avoid and potential conflicts.
The PIPA report is available directly from PIPA on the following email address Info@Pipa.org.uk and will be followed by a full guidance note. Please contact your PIPA inspector for guidance before cutting anything as you may not have to do anything at all just yet..
How do I remove or adapt the handrails if I want to?
There are several ways to go about this but the first thing to do is contact the last inspector to inspect your inflatable regardless or brand or organisation. They should have the records relating to a pass or fail and be able to advise you accordingly if your slide falls into the pass or fail category.
1) To modify your slide, The easiest way is to simply cut the base of the handrail with a pair of sharpened scissors. Then make sure you seal the cut with a brief pass of a windproof lighter to prevent fraying. Its your own preference where to cut the webbing but please ensure its not sharp as this may inadvertently present another issue .
Any length of webbing will still comply with the guidance, however, our preference would be to leave it as long as possible in order to leave a small amount of grip available to the user.
2) Another option is to add extra webbing supports horizontally along the length of the slides to make sure that neither probes pass through the gap to make a pass.
3) Another option is to cut the webbing (with the inflatable uninflated) rough, loose and as close to the inflatable as possible, then pull on the frayed material until it almost vanishes close to the seams.
4) The remaining option is to cut off every other vertical webbing loop to ensure both probes pass through, however, this new PIPA report indicates that this method may also be failed if not accepted by the inspector and we only advice this method being carried out if you understand the report and your inspector is happy.
Please see the video below showing exactly how to perform the alteration described in option 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X77VOUpw-Q8
Thanks for reading.
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