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SOFTFALL AFRICA PLAYGROUND INSTALLATIONS

ccording to the Children’s Safety
Network, falls account for more SoftFall safety surfacing installed in PE’s
Athan 75% of all playground-related public parks
injuries. This is being addressed with the
implementation of Permanent Unitary
Rubber (PUR) surfacing at six public parks
in rural communities surrounding Port
Elizabeth.
Hein de Villiers of SoftFall Africa has been
installing the surfacing solution, fitted
underneath jungle gyms, since July 2019.
All the park venues have been fitted with
new play equipment and SoftFall Africa
constructed all the base installations
for the new jungle gyms, installing the
PUR surfacing thereafter. In addition to
the safety factor, PUR is very durable,
withstanding more wear than grass, and
it is also low in maintenance, requiring no
watering or daily upkeep. When it rains,
there is no risk of slipping and the product
is available in ten colours.
Sithandile Sipili from the Parks Department
at Nelson Mandela Bay University, says that
the installations were necessary because in excess of 0.5 m from the play equipment. De Villiers says that each installation took
when safety audits on playgrounds were SoftFall Africa inspected the site and about seven days to complete, with a 48
done in 2010, they needed to comply determined the necessary specification for hour settling period before the area could
with SABS playground safety standards. A each site, with all installations carried out be used.
decision was taken to install only safety- according to SANS 51177 specification.
compliant equipment to prevent possible Sipili said the community response had
injuries to children. To create the PUR, rubber crumb infill been extremely positive and that the
supplied by the Mathe Group was city had had numerous requests from
The client requested PUR surfacing because incorporated into a wet mix to create a communities who have seen the facilities
of the safety benefits and hardwearing soft, absorbent surface. The use of recycled and are requesting the same. LSA
nature of the rubber surface. SoftFall Africa rubber makes this an environmentally
meets the stringent EU standards which responsible application and the porous For more information contact
have been adopted by the SABS; this was nature of the PUR means it will not harbor Hein de Villiers 041 581 1925
prompted by the high incidence of injuries insects or mould.
resulting from children falling from heights

EASI-WINDSOR SCORES AT MOSES MABHIDA

STADIUM

he 9000 m runoff that surrounds
2
the central soccer pitch at Durban’s
TMoses Mabhida Stadium has been
clad in Easi- Windsor, a premier artificial
turf with a WW yarn. Imported from
Europe, it has only recently been added
to the Easigrass South Africa product
portfolio.

For Louis Goncalves of Easigrass Durban,
the real challenge was that they were given
just three days to complete phase 1 of the
highly complex installation, as opposed to
the original 1.5 weeks originally allocated.
The now completed runoff is an excellent
example of how an artificial turf that was
designed specifically for South African
conditions, is up to the task.

16 Landscape SA • Issue 92 2020