Rules for playground and amusement equipment

Do you have playground or amusement equipment on your premises, or do you rent it out? Playground and amusement equipment must comply with the safety requirements of the Amusement and Playground Apparatus (Commodities Act) Decree (Warenwetbesluit attractie- en speeltoestellen, WAS). These requirements include inspection, maintenance, and keeping a logbook. For example, you may only use playground and amusement equipment that has a certificate of approval. It is possible to convert a certificate from another European Union (EU) member state to a Dutch certificate.

Inspection of playground equipment and amusement equipment

You must have the equipment inspected every year by an appointed inspection body (in Dutch). You must keep the inspection documents until the next inspection.

Safety requirements for small playground and amusement equipment

The safety requirements in the Amusement and Playground Apparatus Decree do not apply to playground equipment in private homes or gardens. They also do not apply to small amusement equipment for a maximum of 3 children. For example, coin-operated children's rides at supermarkets.

Report new amusement machines

Do you assemble or install an amusement machine for the first time? Then you must notify the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (Nederlandse Voedsel en Waren Autoriteit, NVWA, in Dutch). This does not apply to small amusement machines intended for a maximum of 3 persons.

If the device is no longer in your possession, for example because you have sold it, you must deregister it (in Dutch). Registration and deregistration of a device is mandatory.

Environment and planning permit for playground or amusement equipment

In some cases, you need an environment and planning permit (omgevingsvergunning) if you want to install a piece of playground or amusement equipment. This depends on the municipality’s environment plan and the height of the equipment.

Do you want to know if you need an environment and planning permit? Go to the online service counter Omgevingsloket (in Dutch) and do the permit check). In the Omgevingsloket you can see which rules apply in your municipality, province, or regional water authority. You can then use the Omgevingsloket to apply online for an environment and planning permit or submit a notification.

Please note that rules from the General Municipal By-law (Algemene Plaatselijke Verordening, APV) may also be applicable. For example, on the deployment of security or first aid helpers.

Amusement equipment rental

Do you rent out playground equipment? You must include several documents (in Dutch):

• a user manual stating all relevant information for installing and using the equipment safely. For example instructions for anchoring an air cushion.
• a spreadsheet for the tenant on which they can make notes about maintenance and accidents
• proof of the type approval

These documents must be kept with the equipment at all times by the operator. The renter of the playground equipment must be able to show these documents at the site of the equipment.

Do you rent out amusement equipment? Then you must provide several documents to the renter:

• a user manual
• a (copy of) the certificate of approval a copy of the logbook
• a form to report (serious) accidents

These documents must be present at the site of the equipment.

Note: The technical requirements that apply to playground and amusement equipment in the Netherlands differ from those of other EU member states. If an item of playground or amusement equipment is already permitted in another EU Member State, the Dutch government may only prohibit its sale in the Netherlands in exceptional cases.

Other rules on playground and amusement equipment

The website of the NVWA contains all rules about playground equipment (in Dutch) and attraction equipment (in Dutch). Such as safety requirements and how the NVWA supervises.