What safety surfacing should go under a garden trampoline?

The suitability of rubber flooring beneath a trampoline depends on the trampoline’s design and the fall protection already provided. The trampoline requires a level, load-bearing surface, with its feet resting firmly on it without rocking.

Where a trampoline has a safety net, the net catches children before they fall onto the surface beside the equipment. It must be undamaged, correctly attached and kept closed while the trampoline is in use. The space beneath the jumping mat must remain free of objects.

If a trampoline is intended to be used without a safety net, shock-absorbing surfacing must be installed beneath and around it. Safety tiles made from rubber granules are suitable for this surfacing, provided that their tested critical fall height matches the possible fall height.

The size of the surfacing area is determined by the trampoline manufacturer’s stated requirements for the fall space. This fall space must not contain walls, fences, garden furniture, plant pots or other hard obstacles.