Children should be at the top of the priority list when it comes to their protection when playing sports. Children tend to have less perception of risk, even lesser developed motor skills and possibly a lack of access to coaching and support. All of these lead to a possibility of an increased chance of a child sustaining an impact with the floor, albeit not always an injury occurring incident.
Regardless of this, the necessity is there across many countries for a high performance indoor sports surface that can provide the required level of safety and comfort for all it’s users. Especially when there are increasing numbers of undiagnosed concussions prevailing.
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Gerflor is recognised as a sports specialist indoor flooring manufacturer. Our solutions deliver optimum safety, comfort and performance. We are also competitively priced to meet the needs of most budgets. With 6 million children enjoying the benefits of a Gerflor Taraflex® sports floor everyday, we are the go to trusted provider for sports refurbishments and new build.
Historically, flooring solutions commonly found in sports facilities contained materials such as wood or rubber which offered little or no protection to users. The long term effects of this would result in an increased number of injuries.
Today, when considering a sports floor, specifiers have to prioritise whether the sports floor in question will provide the right level of immediate comfort to the users when falling, sliding or diving on the floor.
The Impact Protection Index identifies the level of protection a sports flooring solution provides. The higher the IPI, the higher the protection levels.
Gerflor’s Taraflex® ranges offer a high performing IPI % when compared to traditional sport flooring materials. Taraflex® Comfort offers the highest level of impact protection on the market with an IPI of 89%.
A good level of shock absorption will minimise the force of impact on the body and reduces long term injuries. The Taraflex® ranges meet and also exceed EN 14904 standard rating for point-elastic floors. This rating determines force reduction classes for all floors. The objective is to draw attention to the necessity of installing a safe and comfortable floor that reduces the risk of injuries for all users.
The higher the ‘P’ rating, the higher the shock absorption rate, which will protect against long term injuries. Less shin splints, less tendonitis.
Over the last two decades assessments have been carried out with various credible test institutions, in particular the testing to prove that indoor vinyl sports surfaces can be safer than other traditional surfaces.
Using a Taraflex® Olympic pedigree sports floor when compared with other traditional area elastic solutions such as timber sprung floors, delivers a safe solution for all users. With a complete range of P1, P2 and P3 products to choose from, you can rest assured that Gerflor have a solution for the low impact activities right through to elite and performance sports.
When specifying the right sports flooring surface for your facility, the safety of your users is paramount. You may face several challenges when trying to select an indoor sports surface. These would include the right level of protection for your users, whilst also being within budget.
Our Sports Specialists can help guide you through the specification process. We can also conduct a full free site survey.
The Impact Protection Index identifies the level of protection a sports flooring solution provides. The higher the IPI, the higher the protection levels.
When the flooring comes into contact with an impact, it spreads the contact of the body part across a greater area. The greater the contact area, the less the potential for pain and injury.
To illustrate, imagine that when you come into contact with a soft mattress that it envelopes around you to minimise any movement.
Shock absorption is aligned to protect users when they are using for prolonged periods of time or frequently. It helps prevent overuse stresses on the body. Impact protection is what is afforded instantly the moment a body part impacts with the floor, be it a head, elbow, knee or shoulder, it is worth remembering that this type of injury can occur to anyone within seconds of starting a session.
The conclusion – Of course Shock absorption is important, but remember it protects against overuse injuries which are only ever going to be sustained by a small percentage of users, impact protection protects all from the moment they step on the floor, your or old, everyone needs protection.
A Zurich based Biomechanical study back in 1996 stated that shock absorption alone should never be the sole decider when it comes to selecting a floor, especially when children are the main users.
Gerflor Flooring Ltd, Park Green, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 7LZ
Tel: 01625 428 922
E-mail: contractuk@gerflor.com
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