Playground and amusement equipment

Published by:
Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO
Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO

Do you rent out or set up playground or amusement equipment in the Netherlands? You have to make sure it is safe to use. You have to take care the equipment satisfies the safety requirements of the Amusement and Playground Apparatus Decree (Warenwetbesluit attractie- en speeltoestellen, WAS).

Certificate for playground and amusement equipment

You may only keep playground and amusement equipment which has a certificate of approval. You can have a foreign certificate converted to a similar Dutch one. An appointed inspection body (in Dutch) has to test your equipment annually.

The WAS does not apply to playground equipment at private homes and small amusement equipment for a maximum of 3 persons (e.g. coin-operated children's rides at supermarkets).

Playground and amusement equipment maintenance

Playground and amusement equipment must be well-maintained. To ensure your equipment is kept in good condition, follow these steps:

  • Draw up a maintenance plan;
  • Test the equipment according to the plan;
  • Keep track of your maintenance activities in a logbook.

Report new amusement machines

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

In some cases, you will need an All-in-one Permit for Physical Aspects (omgevingsvergunning) if you want to install a piece of playground or amusement equipment. This depends on the zoning plan in your municipality and the height of the equipment.

Amusement equipment rental

If you rent out amusement equipment, you must include several documents, among others a manual, a spreadsheet for keeping records of maintenance and accidents and proof of the type approval. These documents must be kept with the equipment at all times by the operator.

Foreign amusement equipment

Operators of foreign amusement devices that are temporarily operational in the Netherlands, must report this amusement device to the NVWA in writing. They should do so at least 48 hours before the device is set up. Use the form for registering amusement devices for this.

When operators set up foreign amusement devices they must comply with the same safety requirements as Dutch operators. It does not matter if the amusement equipment is used for one day or a longer period of time. You will always need a valid test certificate handed out by an appointed inspection body for your device.

Please note: The technical requirements that apply in the Netherlands to playground and amusement equipment 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 if the equipment poses a dangerous situation for people or if it could cause environmental pollution.