Labosport Italia was set up in 2003 as a result of the growing need for physical safety and protection for people’s health when using sports and recreational surfaces made out of synthetic materials.
The French Parent Company is one of the world’s leading laboratories, accredited by all the international federations for the various sports disciplines. Besides being an official member of ISSS, the International Association for Sports Surfaces Sciences, it also represents France on the technical committee when it comes to attuning standards on a European level.
Labosport acts as a laboratory that certifies and inspects synthetic surfaces and their components that are made for the various sports disciplines such as football, tennis, track and field events, hockey and gyms.
Particular attention is paid to both indoor and outdoor children’s play areas.
Labosport Italia is accredited by the Italian Football Federation F.I.G.C. – L.N.D
The regulations issued within these sectors by the various states are slowly being attuned with the European Community and have given rise to European projects which are now referred to on an international level in an attempt at reaching the highest standards in terms of quality and safety.
Also in this case, Labosport is highly committed by actively collaborating as an official member of the various international work groups.
In Italy the most commonly used synthetic surfaces are the ones earmarked for the world of football, on both an amateur and professional level, track and field events and public play areas set aside for children.
All these facilities have to comply with the safety and performance requirements set by the corresponding European projects.
When it comes to third generation artificial grass football pitches friction, vertical and angled ball rebound, shock absorbency, torsion and abrasion tests are carried out using equipment that is acknowledged by international federations.
As far as the surfaces set aside for children’s play areas are concerned, tests are carried out on both the areas and the equipment aimed at making them safe, in keeping, for example, with the maximum accidental fall height so as to prevent any dangerous accidents.
Labosport works in serious and professional manner, and one acknowledgement of its efforts made towards the constant search for quality was, among other things, the commission received to check and then homologate the running tracks and Hockey pitches in Athens 2004, as well as checking and homologating the running tracks for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing 2008.
Part of our work involves testing and inspections, which includes checking:
synthetic surfaces. (artificial grass for hockey, American soccer and football, running tracks, indoor flooring for volleyball and multi-sports, and tennis, basketball and slamball courts)
Safe surfaces for children’s play areas.
Public and private recreational areas.
Advice and on-site inspections, work-in-progress, checking the infrastructures. (evenness, permeability and inert materials)
Inspecting and testing sports equipment and materials.
Other activities include:
Giving advice and back-up to manufacturers regarding performance assessment.
Giving advice on new products and product development.
Giving advice to councils and private organisations when evaluating the suitability of existing and upcoming installations.
Giving advice and back-up to technical studios on a design level for on-going tests and inspections.
Our technical staff is part of all the main national and international organisations for standardisation.
