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Garden: installation of outdoor games, what does the law say?

2022-05-16T10:02:26.036Z


Do you want to please your children and install outdoor games in your garden? To ensure their safety, there are important things to consider. Installing outdoor games in your garden, what does the law say?


Swings, trampolines, slides, sandpits... You're spoiled for choice so that the little ones can play in your garden.

But if private playgrounds are places of development, they also present risks for children.

Explanations.

To discover

  • True or false: fight misconceptions about the garden

What is an outdoor game?

Outdoor games are an area designed for children for the purposes of play and amusement.

Two decrees of 1994 and 1996 (decree n°94-699 of August 10, 1994 and decree n° 96-1136 of December 18, 1996) come to define the playground installed in the public space.

It constitutes materials intended for children for play purposes.

By collective playground, we mean public parks and gardens, highway rest areas, campsites, schools and nurseries in which one or more facilities are installed allowing children to play.

The garden is not concerned by the collective, because it is a private property.

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The right does not specifically target equipment specifically installed in the garden.

But we can reasonably assimilate to them the definition of the collective playground.

Without affecting them the installation standards specific to collective use.

The latter appear in the two decrees mentioned above, but also in AFNOR standards.

What outdoor games to install in your garden?

The offer in terms of outdoor games is important.

It is available according to the age of the child, the space available in the garden, the materials desired.

There are some at all prices, and it is even possible to create your own playground if you know how to handle wood with dexterity.

Read alsoInstall outdoor games in your garden

For example, you can install an outdoor playhouse, a slide, a swing, a swing, a trampoline, a sandbox...

Does the law impose compliance with standards for installation in the garden?

If the law strictly regulates the installation of collective playgrounds and imposes compliance with specific standards to ensure the safety of children, it remains almost silent with regard to the private garden.

However, there is a legal rule to follow to install a playground that is intended to remain for more than 3 months, in full compliance with the law in a private space, such as the garden.

Namely, if the light structure of the playground exceeds 12 meters in height and 5m2 in area (floor area and footprint), planning permission is required.

A prior declaration of works (DP) is required when the playground represents a footprint or floor area greater than 5 m² and meets one or more of the following criteria:

  • Footprint less than or equal to 20 m².

  • Floor area less than or equal to 20 m².

  • A building permit is required if the playground represents a footprint or a floor area greater than 20 m².

To limit the risk of danger, it is important to take common sense precautions and why not apply what is imposed for games located in a collective area.

What standards should be checked for garden play structures?

When purchased, outdoor games must meet the requirements of European construction standards.

They must appear on the equipment label (number and date of the standard concerned).

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To know

The CE

and

NF

acronyms

must be indicated on the label.

The main safety certification to look for when it comes to toys is European standard

EN71

.

It controls the mechanical and physical properties, but also the flammability.

The standard covers games for children under the age of 14.

What coating to use for a playground?

To choose the safest place to install your outdoor games in your garden, the area must be free of any obstacles such as large stones, a road, a water feature or trees.

The floor must be able to cushion children's falls as much as possible.

Concrete and bitumen are therefore to be avoided.

On the other hand, wood chips, tree bark, sand, grass or a damping synthetic surface, such as rubber tiles, are the perfect surfaces for a safe playground.

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What distance between each game?

The AFNOR standards cited above recommend respecting a distance of at least 2 meters (also in height) between the extreme point of the play equipment and an external obstacle or other play equipment.

Finally, for maximum stability, and to prevent the outdoor games from collapsing on the children, it is strongly advised to fix them to the ground.

The type of fixing depends on the type of coating used on the area.

The strongest remains the concrete around the fixing.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2022-05-16

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