PIPA Testing

PIPA is an inspection scheme set up by the inflatable play industry to ensure that inflatable play equipment conforms to recognised safety standards. PIPA is short for the ‘Professional Inflatable Play Association’. The scheme is supported by the HSE (Health & Safety Executive) who were consulted at every stage of its development.

The PIPA scheme delivers improved safety for users, quality assurance and certified initial and annual inspection. It is important to note that PIPA currently only covers inflatable play equipment within the scope of BS EN 14960. Although they continue to work closely with the HSE to expand the scope and cover such units as games, pool inflatables and sports inflatables. These units should still however be tested annually and hold a current test certificate RPII or similar.

We at ABC Inflatable Testing are certified to test all inflatables. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) require that all work equipment, including inflatable play, must be inspected at suitable intervals. In the inflatable play industry this is deemed to be once a year.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA) and subsequent regulations require all inflatable play equipment “that is designed to be used by a member of the public for entertainment purposes either as a slide or for bouncing upon” to be tested by a competent person.
BS EN 14960 is the only standard for design, manufacture and testing of inflatable play equipment.

All bouncy castles and inflatable play equipment either manufactured or imported into the UK should have a uniquely numbered PIPA tag and be listed in the PIPA database. This tag means it has been tested against stringent standards and has passed the initial PIPA test. Whether you are hiring out or selling an inflatable it is vital it is PIPA tagged.

All PIPA Tags can be checked by clicking the following link – pipa.org.uk