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After many years of uncertainty, the European Union has finally produced its long-awaited ruling on standards for indoor sports flooring. The publication of EN14904, and its implementation this year, brings consistency and certainty in defining the types of flooring that are acceptable in terms of safety and performance.  This, says Hazel Cook, Contract Marketing Manager at Gerflor, introduces a welcome level playing field in the market.

The introduction of EN14904 is a major step forward as it helps to ensure operators choose the best option in terms of both long term performance and safety. This is particularly important in busy leisure centres and other facilities, such as schools, which rely upon the regular income from their sports halls.

The UK government’s Building Schools for the Future programme, for example, plans a massive refurbishment and building programme for primary and secondary schools. Sports floors don’t just accommodate a wide range of competitive games; many usually host other kinds of revenue-generating events and activities too. The floors need to be able to cope with a multitude of sporting and non-sporting activities and yet also feature safe, scientifically proven, shock absorption qualities.

Following publication of EN14904, Sport England is advising organisations to follow the new rules and many others are using the standard to set limits on funding new projects

Changing rules:

Sports floors, which had met BS7044 part 4 as a minimum standard, will now have to comply with the new European EN 14904 standard which, in essence, defines a sports floors in terms of its :

Vertical Deformation < 5mm – to reduce the risk of injuries sustained by diving and falling

Force Reduction/Shock absorption > 25% – to reduce injuries such as shin splints caused by jarring and vibration – this is particularly important for children whose lack of weight will mean that they would not be protected by the vertical deformation on its own

Uniform friction – the floor should optimise grip/slip performance across the whole surface

Vertical ball bounce – the bounce should be both true and consistent across the floor.

Resistance to indentation, rolling loads and impact.  These are important factors when the floor is used for both sporting and non-sporting activities and bleacher seating is likely to be used.

Abrasion resistance – to ensure good long term durability and performance.

Correct light reflection – important for both sighted and visually-impaired people who need to be able to see line markings often at speed.

EN14904 therefore brings much-needed clarity to the market place.

Safety has to be preserved through a compromise between slip resistance and sliding freedom of movement

Previously, companies could quote different standards for different countries which was complicated and confusing for customers. By setting a minimum and consistent standard for sports floors wherever they are located in the European Union, EN 14904 makes it easier to compare different types of sports floors in terms of their compliance with minimum safety and performance standards.

The UK is further ahead than other countries in terms of applying safety standards to sports floors, so change will most likely be seen here first.

The question of consistent standards focuses on what type of flooring is best for safety. There are four types of sports floors recognised by the new European standard:

* Sprung floors (or area elastic systems); these are typically manufactured using a wooden undercarriage system and top surface and are designed to spread the energy across a wide area as the player runs or jumps across the surface. This floor is measured primarily in terms of the floor’s vertical deformation across a specified area. It is important to note that this type of floor may not be suitable for children who are often not heavy enough to benefit from any shock absorption from this type of flooring

* Point elastic flooring typically features a vinyl surface, and some kind of foam backing. It offers immediate cushioning directly at the point of impact and helps reduce the risk of repetitive stress problems associated with hard surfaces. This type of floor will absorb energy immediately at the point of impact regardless of the weight of the user.  It is particularly suitable in facilities where children, old people or high level athletes may be heavy users.

The grip/slide co-efficient is a very important sports flooring characteristic as people will be  naturally moving at high speed-pivoting, accelerating and stopping quickly. Safety has to be preserved through a compromise between slip resistance and sliding freedom of movement. A floor must be slippery enough to allow a player to pivot quickly but sticky enough to allow rapid acceleration. The floor should also be smooth enough to prevent friction burns and yet rough enough to allow a firm foothold.

It took over twenty years for the new EN14904 to come into force but, now it is here, reputable manufacturers such as Gerflor will be keen to demonstrate their product’s ability to meet and exceed the new standard. For peace of mind and sports excellence, operators should always ask to see certification before specifying a new floor.