Bleacher Safety and Inspections: What You Need To Know

March 20, 2015

Between your gymnasium and your athletic field, chances are you have at least one, if not two, sets of bleachers installed at your school. When was the last time you had them inspected and updated if necessary? Although most just see them as a convenient seating arrangement for viewing sports games or participating in outdoor events such as homecoming and graduation, it is your job as an authority figure at your school to ensure that your bleachers are safe and up to code.

According to the CPSC, 10 bleacher accidents resulted in children’s lives being cut short between 1980 and 1999. Why? In two of the reported cases, it was because there was a wide enough space between either the foot-board and the seat-board or in the guardrail, which led to the children falling out. Since then, many eyes and ears have been focused on bleacher safety to ensure that their equipment isn’t a danger to those who use it. To aid in your efforts of improving your school’s safety, check out the following bleacher recommendations from the CPSC:

1. Guardrails should be designed in a way that children are not able to pass under or through them. Furthermore, if there are openings where children might be encouraged to climb, the measurement of the opening should read no more than 1.75 inches.
2. The top surface of any guardrail should be at least 42 inches above the edge of the foot-board, seat-board or aisle, depending on which is adjacent to the guardrail.
3. Aisles, handrails and any other features that make access to and use of bleachers easier should be installed wherever possible.

For a more comprehensive list of safety recommendations, please click here.

Inspections

While you can probably figure out if bolts or screws are loose on your own, there are other less obvious safety concerns that must be addressed by a professional. Did you know that Nickerson Corporation is available to perform on site inspections for your bleacher systems? In fact, all states and even the National Fire Protection Association require that inspections be completed on a yearly basis.

Since spring is here (at least according to the calendar), you can expect that students, staff and parents will begin to make use of your bleachers soon – that’s why there is no better time than now to schedule an appointment for your next inspection! When you rely on our team to take a look at your school’s equipment, you can rest assured knowing that you will receive a full report documenting any maintenance or repairs, including an estimate for what you can expect in parts and labor costs if needed.

To learn more about the bleacher products and services we offer, contact us at (631) 666-0200 today!