General information

MATERIALS

In order to meet the stringent standards we set for safety, durability, finish and functional performance, the materials we use are of the highest quality. Plywood is of a quality intended for outdoor use. HPL (High Pressure Laminate) is the obvious choice for boards where requirements are extra high. Our timber is mainly fine-ringed Swedish pine, preferably from northern Sweden. Certified in accordance with FSC or PEFC.

The timber is planed and the edges rounded. Sandboxes are manufactured from oak, among other things. Screws and nuts are protected against vandalism by a plastic HAGS cover cap or zinc-covered screw grooves. Nets and ropes are manufactured from hot-galvanized chain coated with solid polyurethane for durability and minimal sensitivity to temperature variations.

Design-rolled stainless steel in slides and crawl tubes provides a long service life and even friction. Bolt joints are galvanized to protect against rusting. Posts and metal parts are made of high-tensile steel.

WOOD PROTECTION

All timber is pressure-impregnated according to the norms of the European standard EN 351 Class P5 and the directives of the Nordic Wood Preservation Council. The need for chemical protection varies according to how great the risk is for timber-destroying organisms in the local environment.

Wood protection class P5 is intended for above ground timber and is applied to all free surfaces after machining. The active ingredients in the oils used for this impregnation technique are biologically degradable and protect timber against moisture, drying-out and fibre-raising. It is an environmentally safe treatment and is in no way harmful to the wood. We use HAGS treated oak for wooden components that come into direct contact with the ground.

SURFACE TREATMENT

Wood is treated with one coat of woodstain primer and one coat of film-forming woodstain finisher to ensure the very best durability and resistance to wind and rain at the same time as it preserves and enhances the natural graining of the wood. Wooden components are flow-coated twice to saturate the fibres with pigment for the finest possible quality.

Steel components are either hot-dip galvanized or powder coated with polyester-type powder coatings. Galvanized steel is powder coated.

QUALITY SYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

HAGS is quality accredited in Sweden in accordance with the SS-EN ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 quality management systems.

WARRANTY

Classification of materials in relation to years of warranty:

• 10 years
  Against failure due to material or production defects on all galvanized and other non-coated steel and metal parts, solid plastic and HPL panels and machined timber.
• 5 years
  Against failure due to material or production defects on springs, coated metal parts, moulded plastic parts and net constructions.
• 2 years
  Against functional errors due to material or production defects on movable plastic and metal parts. The warranty is only valid for the customer who bought the product from HAGS or its authorized agents.

THE WARRANTY DOES NOT APPLY

• To natural wear and tear occurring with normal- use.
• If the product is subject to abuse, product misuse, excessive strain or vandalism.
• If the purchaser fails to perform and document inspection and maintenance procedures in accordance with the instructions in General- Information, Guidance for operating a playground in public areas and the product’s maintenance instructions.
• If the product has not been installed in accordance with our instructions provided.
• If the product is exposed to environmental conditions not foreseeable by HAGS.
• If the product is being used or installed together with products not approved by HAGS Aneby AB.
• If the purchaser does not inform HAGS or our authorized agents of the defect within three (3) months of the defect being discovered or when it should have been discovered.
• If the purchaser fails to follow the instructions provided by HAGS or its authorized agents with regard to complaint procedures.

During the warranty period, HAGS undertakes to replace a defective part with a new component or, at its discretion, repair the defective component. The replacement component shall be sent to the purchaser, or the component repaired, without unreasonable delay. Replaced components must be returned to HAGS upon request. Components replaced or repaired during the warranty period shall carry the unexpired portion of the original warranty.

If replacement or repairing services are required, the customer must present the valid original invoice or the original warranty certificate to HAGS or our authorized agents. In addition, the customer must, upon request, present HAGS with a copy of documents indicating how inspection and maintenance procedures have been conducted.

Any disputes, claims or controversies arising out of or relating to this warranty shall be settled and determined by arbitration conducted in Sweden at a location decided by HAGS.

SAFETY

A well-functioning safety standard has been developed with the aim of creating as safe a playground environment as possible without loosing the value of play, and thus its attraction. Our products meet the safety requirements of standard ASTM F1487, CPSC, and are listed on IPEMA’s website, www.ipema.org.

SPACE REQUIREMENTS

The safety areas for each piece of equipment are according to the ASTM and CPSC standards.

SHOCK-ABSORBING SURFACE

Impact surface materials must, in terms of properties and thicknesses, meet the requirements of ASTM and CPSC. The material must be arranged so that water drains away to the required degree.

Rubber:

• Prefabricated sheets are placed on an even, drained base.
• Granulate is placed on an even, drained base.

Other synthetic materials:

• See the instructions from each manufacturer.

Loose fill material such as sand, gravel, bark and wood chips: For sand and gravel, HAGS recommends a fraction between 0.02" and 0.2" which should also be evenly distributed. Fractions for other material, ASTM and CPSC.

ASSEMBLY SPECIFICATIONS

Transportation requirements and environmental considerations mean that HAGS play equipment is delivered in one of three ways:

• Unassembled kit, e.g. swing set.
• Pre-assembled sections, e.g. play system.
• More or less fully assembled units, e.g. spring riders.

ANCHORING

For safety, stability and theft prevention, the play equipment needs to be properly secured.The most important reason is to prevent serious accidents and injuries caused by inadequately anchored equipment.

HAGS play equipment is supplied for different types of ground installation:

• Prefabricated ground anchoring. Unless otherwise- stated, anchoring must be performed- in sand/gravel material.
• Anchoring above ground, against a concrete- slab, etc.
• Anchoring through sunken foundation.

Some products require ground anchoring with cast-in-place concrete. The casting components are fixed in place before concrete work starts. The strength of the concrete should correspond to at least the requirements for each product. Concrete work must be carried out by personnel with the required expertise.

For ground anchoring in loose fill material such as bark, wood chips, etc., deeper foundations will be required. Contact your HAGS representative.

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

To ensure that the play equipment is installed safely and correctly, The assembly work must be carried out in full compliance with the assembly instructions that are included in all products from HAGS. The equipment must be installed by qualified professionals. The failure to install equipment according to assembly instructions can involve safety hazards and may render the warranty null and void.

If additional assembly instructions are required, please contact your HAGS representative.

In order to prevent accidents, access to the area must be totally restricted until the assembly work has been fully completed.

INSPECTION

Once assembly work has been completed and the play equipment is securely and safely in place, it has to be inspected with regard to safety, functional performance and assembly. Any deviations must always be dealt with before the equipment is used.

GUIDANCE FOR OPERATING A PLAYGROUND

Information about Operation – -Assembly –- Maintenance – Inspection: see install -instructions which- you will find on our website-, www.hagsus.com. Inspections must always be based on the degree of use and the type of product. Recommendations refer to normal use. In playgrounds with an intensive visit frequency, the interval should be reduced and adapted as required. Information on both inspection and maintenance are also specified in the assembly instructions that accompany the product.

MAINTAINING HAGS WOODSTAINED WOOD PRODUCTS

Proper maintenance is essential to preserve the appearance and functional properties of wood. The time interval and choice of maintenance methods depend on the location of the equipment and the amount of use it gets.

Before starting maintenance work, it is necessary to assess the state of the surface finish. Surfaces with fairly little mechanical damage and a film-coating that is otherwise intact are repaired using method A) a transparent stain. Surfaces with extensive damage to the film-coating are repaired using method B) a solid colour (pigmented).

A. TRANSPARENT WOODSTAIN

Do not work in direct sunlight or at temperatures below +50°F.

1. Clean the old surface or damaged area thoroughly with pre-paint cleaner. Rinse care- fully with water. Clean between the boards wherever necessary so that moisture run-off works properly.

2. Let the surface dry until the moisture content is not above 18%.

3. Scrape or sand the damaged (black) areas to remove loose paint and then apply two coats of oil primer. Or treat the entire surface. Let it dry between applications.

4. Leave to dry for at least 4 hours at a temperature of +50°F or above.

5. Then apply two coats of woodstain to the damaged areas or until the correct color is achieved. It may be necessary to apply a final coat to the entire surface. Let it dry between applications.

6. Leave to dry for at least 4 hours at a temperature of +50°F or above.

B. SOLID COLOR WOODSTAIN

Do not work in direct sunlight or at temperatures below +50°F.

1. Clean the old surface or damaged area thoroughly with pre-paint cleaner. Rinse carefully with water. Clean between the boards wherever necessary so that moisture run-off works properly.

2. Let the surface dry until the moisture content is not above 18%.

3. Scrape or sand the damaged (black) areas to remove loose paint and then apply two coats of oil primer. Or treat the entire surface. Let it dry between applications.

4. Leave to dry for at least 4 hours at a temperature of +50°F or above.

5. Then apply two coats of solid color woodstain to the damaged areas. It may be necessary to apply a final coat to the entire surface. Let it dry between applications.

6. Leave to dry for at least 4 hours at a temperature of +50°F or above.

Although the pigments of our solid color woodstains have been specially developed to match our transparent woodstain shades, slight differences may arise, as it is technically impossible to guarantee a 100% match at all times.

WOODSTAINS FOR MAINTENANCE WORK

Maintenance woodstains are available from HAGS.

• Oil Primer (colorless) HAGS R353 340 in 5-litre cans.
• Woodstains are available in required colors- (0.75 l cans).

Please contact your HAGS representative for more information.

IMPROVING POWDER COATED STEEL COMPONENTS

HAGS touch-up paint should be used to repair any damage to powder coated surfaces. Minimum temperature +50°F. Do not work in direct sunlight.

1. Carefully sand rough edges around the damaged area.

2. Use white spirit to clean the area.

3. Apply touch-up paint and leave to dry for 8 hours.

TOUCH-UP PAINT CAN BE ORDERED

Visit our website www.hagsus.com for information on paint and item numbers.

MATERIAL RECYCLING

The raw materials in HAGS products are chosen on the basis of their technical performance and their environmental impact during the full course of their service life. The majority of products consist of different materials that can be separated quite simply for recycling. We recommend the following disposal methods for the various different kinds of material at the end of their useful life.

Materials	Method
Wood (class B impreg.	Recycling, energy extraction
Metal	Reuse
HPL	Energy extraction
Plastic, solid	Recycling, energy extraction
Plastic foams	Energy extraction

DESIGN CHANGES

We reserve the right to make changes to the designs of our products without prior notice.