Safe Use of Synthetic Surfaces

Ensuring a synthetic surface is safe to use requires many actions to be undertaken. Synthetic surfaces are not all-weather, nor maintenance free, nor minimal maintenance. They do require significant maintenance inputs to ensure they are safe to use and a manager and grounds operative have a duty of care to users to ensure the surface is safe.

Carrying out a formal, documented, pitch and surround pre-use risk assessment is essential to ensure the surface is safe for play. Working through a simple checklist will be able to confirm the status of the surface.

Examples of what might need checking (this will depend on the type of surface and infill) can include the following:

Observation of: Reason for check
Surface debris / litter / bins overflowing Unsightly if present. Empty bins regularly, hand pick, sweep surface as required.
If hard material this could cause injury.
Affects play, especially ball roll.
If grass / soil on pitch consider how it was introduced - e.g. on maintenance equipment, so ensure clean when used.
Watch for leaves, especially in autumn.
Nets / goals - damaged, incorrectly fixed; not adequately secured If goals not securely fixed or stable, serious crush injury can result goals tipping over.
Nets to be properly fixed (use correctly designed fixings, do not improvise), to allow ‘give’ if player in contact with nets.
Unsightly if damaged.
Surrounding fence damaged, secured Injury to users if damaged; repair if needed; refix if loose
Entrance area to be clean and safely accessible Check there’s no trip hazard - sunken area entering / leaving pitch; carpet adequately secured.
Foot to be scrapes clean and usable (clean / renew bristles as required).
Signage clean, undamaged and securely fixed (clean and update as required as important safety and usage information given by sign boards).
Access gates - pedestrian and vehicular Open smoothly, not damaged, locked if required. Fix, oil, or grease as required.
Containment features (especially 3G) Secured and complete to retain infill material, preventing pollution to outside surrounds and washing into water courses via drains etc.
Infill evenly distributed Ensure consistency of playability, reduce erratic behaviour of ball, potential impacting on player actions - brush / groom as required; top-up if needed following redistribution.
Maintain consistent hardness and traction over pitch.
Helps reduce carpet wear and extend longevity if appropriate depth and uniformity across pitch.
Line markings clear To comply with laws of the sport.
To aid players and referees.
Ensuring overmarking is carried out in relation to the amount of usage taking place.
Carpet wear Repair with new inserts, e.g. penalty areas.
Reduced blade length and cover can increase surface hardness, reduce ball control, increasing likelihood of slipping and negative impact on body joints.
Review maintenance activities: brushing, redistributing infill, usage allocations over pitch to help spread wear better.
Seams entire Split seams can be a trip hazard as well as impact on ball roll and/or direction, potentially jumping up to cause injury (primarily if being used for hockey). Refix before seam extends in length, which could result in entire pitch being temporarily taken out of action.
Inlaid lines secured If these have become detached, then they can present a trip hazard between them and main carpet.
Surround boards Ensure entire, not splintered, clean, otherwise potentially injury to players if coming into contact with them, and ball will not rebound uniformly or as expected, including bouncing higher than expected potentially incurring body or head injury.
Water visible on surface If a heavy downpour has not just occurred, then infiltration rates should remove water quickly. If water is still present for any period of time, then the surface could be compacted or contaminated reducing infiltration rates. The drains may also need cleaning, rodding / water jetting. Check silt traps / outfall.
Most likely a deep clean and decompaction of carpet is needed.

Once a checklist has been worked through and any corrections made to the surface or surrounds then the pitch would typically be deemed safe to play on and could then be opened up for users.