What Is a PIPA Tag? A Plain-English Guide for Anyone Hiring an Inflatable
Booking a bouncy castle for a party, school fair or fun day? Here is what the PIPA tag means and how to check it in two minutes.
If you've hired a bouncy castle before, you may have seen a small tag stitched onto it. That's usually a PIPA tag – and it's one of the simplest ways to check that an inflatable is safe to use.
What the tag proves
A PIPA tag shows that the inflatable has been inspected by a registered inspector against BS EN 14960, the European standard for inflatable play equipment, and that the test has been logged on the national PIPA database. Each tag has a unique number, so you can look up that exact inflatable online.
How to check it
- Ask the hire company for the tag number before your event.
- Look it up on pipa.org.uk.
- Check that the photo matches what's delivered and that the last test was within the past year – inflatables need inspecting annually.
PIPA or ADIPS?
HSE guidance accepts either a numbered PIPA tag or an ADIPS Declaration of Compliance for play inflatables. ADIPS is the inspection scheme for fairground and amusement devices. Either way, you should also get written evidence of compliance and instructions for safe use.
What else to ask your supplier
- Do you have public liability insurance, and can you send the certificate?
- Will you send a risk assessment for my venue?
- Who will supervise, and what are the user limits?
- What happens if it's too windy on the day?
At JM Inflatable Hire we follow the PIPA scheme for our inflatables – read how we follow PIPA or ask us for the tag numbers on your quote.