“You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours.”
Herb Brooks
MAINTAINING SPORTS AND PE EQUIPMENT PROLONGS ITS LIFE
Maintaining Sports and PE equipment prolongs its life and helps to ensure that safe standards are met and comply with all regulations
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to provide safe plant and equipment for employees and other visitors (e.g. students, community use, lettings), and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 requires that all equipment should be subject to systematic and regular inspection to identify any signs of damage or wear and tear that may cause injury.
BRITISH STANDARDS
The British Standards Institute states that ‘it is important that all physical education apparatus is maintained in a first class, fully safe condition. General maintenance should take place regularly. An inspection should be carried out at least once a year.’ The regular maintenance of sports hall, gymnastics, fixed play, fitness and sports equipment is essential for safety. ‘Regular’ is not time defined by the BSI. However, it typically means annually, with more frequent inspection where use is higher than normal for a school (such as where community use adds significantly to equipment usage). Where a school chooses not to undertake annual inspections, presentation of a clear rationale for this is strongly advised.
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We inspect and service a wide range of indoor sites, including:
Nurseries & Pre-Schools | Primary Schools |
| SEN Schools | Secondary Schools |
| Independent Schools | Colleges & Universities |
| International Schools | Caravan Parks and Hotels |
| Academy Trusts | Blue Lamp Services |
| FM Facility Management | Leisure Centres |
| Adventure Parks | Fitness Centres |
| Care Homes | Local Authorities |
All our indoor services include the following checks
Woodwork inspection
Metalwork inspection
Beam units inspection – remove covers & wires are checked
Wall bars inspection (also checking wheels and locking devices)
Rope track inspection (ropes also inspected for wear and tear)
Basketball inspection
Mats inspection – checking for cuts/splits
Vaulting equipment inspection
All portable equipment
Trampoline Service and Inspection – Additional charges will apply
*’High Level’ service work on roof mounted Basketball Goals and Backboards , Cricket Netting, Curtain Dividers , Motors or Scoreboards will have an enhanced cost due to Tower, Scissor or Cherry Picker usage. This enhanced cost will include a second Man.
** Trampolines – Mini Trampolines are part of the standard service checks. Larger competition trampolines have a separate charge rate. Please ask for details.
Each item is thoroughly checked for serviceability. Details are denoted on the Engineers PDA system. On completion of the service a full written report is sent direct to the site with a full list of serviceable items and items/products that may need repairs or further works.
If replacements or repairs are required a full written quotation will be sent to the site for further acknowledgement. The site will then have to make a decision on what repairs/replacements they will require.
Our Engineers on site will brief the site team on their report and will highlight any dangerous equipment. It may be necessary in some circumstances that the Engineer may have to place an area ‘Out of Bounds’ until repairs/replacement parts are sourced. This is for the safety of all concerned on site.
Minor repairs will be carried out by the Engineers on site as part of the Service Schedule. Below is just some of the items checked through a basic Internal Service Visit.
| Equipment Type | Basic Service Requirements |
|---|---|
| Gymnastic Mats | Check that: The underside of mats and the top surface is clean, there are no embedded objects, such as stones and pins, the mats are free from holes and tears and display no rucking in the cover or foam infill. |
| Springboards | Check that: The board is stable on impact, the surface is non-slip and free from splinters, rubber feet are stable and are not worn through on the wood. |
| Balance Benches and Beams | Check that: The construction is not warped and is free from splinters, rubber buffers on the supporting feet are secure and the bench/beam is stable. The surface is clean and smooth, fixing hooks are intact and covered with leather or plastic rubber pads on the top surface are in place if the bench is intended for use in an inverted position. |
| Ropes and suspended apparatus | Check that: Ropes are not frayed or damaged, pull-out lines are not worn and their securing wall cleats are secure and not broken or with sharp edges, the runways operate smoothly, ropes are knot-free and the leather end caps are intact. |
| Hinged Wall Equipment | Check that: Bracing wires are taut with no visible fraying at any point ,castors run smoothly, floor sockets are clean and free from obstruction. Securing bolts are firmly fixed and engage properly with their floor and wall sockets, wooden components are free from cracks or splinters. Painted or powder coated components are well maintained, with no evidence of flaking. Tension clamps and braces are not sharp, work correctly and should be covered. |
| Free Standing Netball Stands | Check that: Posts are slotted into holes in the ground, where this is not possible, free-standing posts need to be safely weighted. Water or sand filled compartments are ideal. Posts are padded along the entire length of the post where required by the governing body of sport, in accordance with specifications, particularly at a competitive level. Posts are adjustable for different age groups, if applicable when not in use, unfixed posts that cannot be stored inside a building are secured at all times to prevent unauthorised use. Unfixed posts are carried from the work area to storage by staff or students who have been shown safe lifting techniques. |
| Vaulting equipment and movement platforms | Check that: All wooden components are splinter-free, all covers i.e. ; vinyl, material or hide are free from tears, clean and in the case of hide suitably textured. Construction is stable and solid with no weakness allowing dangerous movement on impact. Wheeling mechanisms work efficiently and any brakes fitted must be working. |
| Condemned Units/Items | Condemned items should not continue to be used even for limited (e.g. ‘only sitting on’) or non-physical education purposes. All condemned items need to be removed so that they cannot come back into use ‘inadvertently’. Condemned equipment needs to be clearly identified by the inspecting company in order that teachers do not continue to use it in ignorance of the unsafe situation. |
| Cost Efficiencies | The occasion may come up where it is more cost effective to replace damaged equipment or equipment that requires repairs. The Engineer on site will advise all concerned and denote details on his PDA. |
| Conclusion | On conclusion of the Service Visit a full report along with pictures will be sent to the site. If equipment requires repairing or we feel that it would be more cost effective to replace the item then a full quotation for the works will be issued. |
Call – 0330 1355262
Email – sales@sportsplayservices.co.uk
