Action Zone Play Unit “Children love the variety of activity it provides and we love that it caters for a variety of different ages and abilities.” Hertford Infants School

The Action Zone play unit is one of our most popular climbing structures! With its varied deck heights and variety of challenges, it is designed with a wide range of children and abilities in mind.

Ideal for developing strength, balance and co-ordination, this unit provides opportunities for children to climb, swing, traverse and slide.

https://playgroundimagineering.co.uk/products/climbing-structures/action-zone

1. 600mm deck and adjoining 900mm deck.
2. Rock ramp to 600mm deck.
3. Hand over hand to 600mm deck with step post and ladder rung access.
4. HDPE plastic slide to 900mm deck with HDPE slide entry panel.
5. Pod climber to 900mm deck.
6. Vertical scramble net to 900mm deck.
7. HDPE plastic sail shaped climbing panel.

The Action Zone unit is made from a mixture of quality treated laminate timber, UV stable durable HDPE plastic and powder coated steel.

Our structures are manufactured using BZP steel fixings. All fixings are hidden with plastic push in caps or disguised with cover caps.

We design all of our products to meet the BS EN 1176 and BS EN 1177 standard. To put it simply, our products are designed to keep children as safe as possible.

BS EN 1176 has a number of requirements that must be considered when designing playground equipment. Below are just a few that pertain to our Action Zone unit:

1. All of our materials are safe for children to use.
2. All timber is green treated to extend the life of the product and prevent decay and corrosion.
3. All metal is protected against corrosion and is powder coated to give a child friendly, bright finish.
4. Any synthetic materials, i.e. HDPE is UV stable with an ‘orange peel’ texture.
5. Edges on all materials have a minimum 3mm radius so that children aren’t harmed by any sharp edges.
6. Platforms have non-slip grip boards. These boards have a textured surface with a slip resistant compound layer.
7. All holes and openings are in compliance with the standards finger and body trap specification. (Finger Traps: No holes between 8mm – 25mm, Body Traps: No holes between 80mm – 230mm).
8. Any element with a critical free fall height of 600mm – 1500mm requires a free space area surrounding it of 1.5m. (e.g. 600mm deck with rock ramp, 900mm deck with pod climber and vertical scramble net).
9. The hand over hand ladder has a critical fall height of 1.7m and therefore requires free space of 1.63m.
10. Slide to 900mm deck is classified as having a short run out and therefore requires free space of 1m to the sides of the slide and 2m beyond the run out.

BS EN 1177 solely concerns the testing of the impact surface which is installed. Two main factors determine what safety surface is required:

1. What is the critical fall height? – This will determine the amount of safety surfacing that is required around the unit and the thickness.
2. What surface is the unit being installed on? – We can then decide on the most cost effective option for you.

The Action Zone has a minimum space requirement of 7.63m x 6.60m. This space will include the unit and the required additional safety surfacing surrounding it. We give this measurement so that you can see if the area you are considering is big enough.

The safety surfacing does not fill the entire space, the area that will be covered by the safety surfacing is 36m2 for the Action Zone. The type of safety surfacing that is installed is dependent on where the unit is being positioned and the specification of the safety surface changes depending on the critical fall height, which is 1.7m for the Action Zone. Below are a list of our best safety surfacing options:

1. Wet pour rubber is installed at varying depths to cover the equipment’s free fall height. Wet pour under this unit will be installed at 60mm. It can be installed directly onto tarmac or onto other surfaces after additional groundworks are under taken. It comes in a variety of colours and can even include graphics. (https://playgroundimagineering.co.uk/products/school-grounds/wet-pour-rubber)
2. Bonded rubber mulch can be installed at a standard 40mm depth and cover critical free fall heights of up to 2.2m. It can be installed directly onto most surfaces without requiring any additional groundwork’s and comes in a variety of single and mixed colour options. Designed to look like bark, it is one of the more natural safety surfaces available. (https://playgroundimagineering.co.uk/products/school-grounds/bonded-rubber-mulch)
3. Rubber grass mats can only be installed under a unit that is installed onto grass. Grass with a good sward plus the rubber grass mats can give a critical fall height of up to 3.3m. The mats will eventually be disguised under the growing grass and also work to prevent the grass from wearing away in heavy traffic areas. (https://playgroundimagineering.co.uk/products/school-grounds/grow-through-rubber-matting)

As one of our most popular products, we have looked to develop the range further. We now have mini options for the EYFS age range which fit into more compact spaces. These units have the same activities and benefits as the standard Action Zone but are better suited to EYFS play environments. 

https://playgroundimagineering.co.uk/products/climbing-structures/action-zone-mini

We are always looking for new ideas and ways to develop products, so if you have something for your own playground in mind let us know and we would be happy to work with you to bring your very own bespoke Action Zone to life.

All of our product range can be seen on our website along with a variety of our completed projects. An inspiration booklet with all of our most popular products is also available.  If you would like to receive one, please get in touch and we will get one sent out to your school.

Our team are always happy to help, if you would like to book in for a free site visit and design or simply want to chat about what we can do for you, please fill in the call back request form on our website or call 01925 648959. Alternatively you can get in touch with our team via email, simply send a message to sales@playgroundimagineering.co.uk and we will get back to you.

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