How often should school playground equipment be inspected?

Playground inspections are one of those duties that drift. The annual report arrives, gets filed, and nobody acts on the medium-risk items until they become high-risk. This guide sets out the three levels of inspection a school should run, who does each, and how to turn the report into a plan.

The three levels

This is the pattern set out in BS EN 1176-7 and repeated in council guidance for schools, for example Buckinghamshire Council’s. The standard also says equipment should be inspected at least as often as its maker’s instructions require.

Routine checks

A quick walk round before children go out. Use the checklist from the equipment maker’s manual. Record the date, who checked and anything found, even if it is “nothing”. A simple sheet in a ring binder is enough.

Operational checks

A more hands-on look every one to three months. Shake posts, check bolts and caps, look at chains, ropes and bearings, and measure loose-fill depth if you have bark or sand. Council guidance notes that good, hands-on routine checks linked to the annual inspection can reduce the need for a separate quarterly check, but someone must still record it.

The annual inspection

The annual main inspection should be done by a specialist not connected to the school or the installer. Council guidance commonly asks for an inspector registered with the Register of Play Inspectors International (RPII), especially where equipment has moving parts, a fall height of 600 mm or more, slides, stairs or guard rails. Insurers, councils, play companies and safety organisations all offer annual inspections.

What the report contains

• A list of every item with its condition.
• Each defect rated by risk, usually low, medium, high or very high.
• Notes on compliance with BS EN 1176 and BS EN 1177.
• Recommended actions.

Turning the report into action

1. Very high and high risk: close the item or the area until fixed. Act within days.
2. Medium risk: plan repairs within weeks, before the next term if you can.
3. Low risk: schedule into routine maintenance.
4. Repeat items: if the same equipment shows up year after year, budget for replacement rather than patching.

Keep the report and a note of what you did about each item. In a claim, the record of action matters as much as the inspection.

New equipment

Every new installation should have a post-installation inspection by an independent inspector before children use it. Ask your installer to include it in the price.

What it costs

Annual inspections are usually priced per site or per item and are modest next to the cost of the equipment. Ask for a price that includes a written report with photographs.

A simple routine check sheet

If you do not have the maker’s checklist to hand, a one-page sheet covering these points is a sound start. Tick each item, note the date and initials, and write down anything found.

• Glass, litter, animal fouling or sharp objects on the surface.
• Surfacing in place, with no holes, lifted edges, trip points or bare patches under equipment.
• Loose-fill (bark, sand) still deep enough under the highest points.
• No broken, bent or missing parts; caps and covers in place.
• No exposed concrete footings or protruding bolts.
• Ropes, chains and nets intact, with no fraying or broken strands.
• Gates closing properly where the area is fenced.
• Anything that has been moved, added or altered since the last check.

Close an item with tape and a sign if you find anything that could hurt a child, and report it the same day.

Training for site staff

Routine and operational checks need someone who knows what to look for. Play inspection bodies and some councils run short courses for site staff; a half-day course is usually enough for routine checks. Record who is trained and refresh it every few years, especially when a new caretaker or site manager starts.

If your latest report recommends replacing equipment or surfacing, our surfacing guide explains the options, and the form below finds an installer who covers your area.