# Playground defects: grading and closing them

> **Short answer:** Defects are graded critical, moderate or minor. A critical defect means the equipment is taken out of use immediately and not used again until the fault is put right. A moderate defect has to be dealt with but use can continue. A minor one is kept under observation. Every defect is closed with a description of the remedial action.

Category: Inspections and defects · Updated: 2026-08-09 · Published by: Lekko · Canonical address: https://lekko.tech/eu/help/defects-observations-and-actions

What critical, moderate and minor mean in practice, and why a defect is not finished until it is closed.

## How to do it in Lekko

A defect is something that is not as it should be and needs an action. Defects are created automatically when you mark a checklist item as a defect during an inspection, but you can also record one by hand.

### The severity

- **Critical:** needs action immediately. An open critical defect makes the equipment red.
- **Moderate:** should be followed up within a reasonable time.
- **Minor:** should be dealt with, but is not urgent.

> Taking equipment out of use has to be real. A rope and a sign are not a closure if a child can still use the equipment — as long as it can be used, it is in use, and the defect is still critical.

On each defect you can set an assignee and a date. Defects whose date has passed or is approaching are brought forward on the front page.

### How to close a defect

1. Open the defect from the list or from the equipment's own page.
2. Choose to close it and describe the remedial action that was carried out.
3. Set an assignee and a date if you want to.
4. Choose Mark as closed.

> Closed defects stay in the history and are included in the documentation, so you can show both what was found and what was done about it. In the list they are shown in grey.

### Observations and actions

Observations — things you want to keep an eye on — have a tab of their own. An observation can be closed with a description of what was done, exactly like a defect. The actions tab gathers every action carried out, from closed defects and from closed observations alike.

A closed defect can be reopened if the problem comes back, and one recorded by mistake can be deleted. You do both from the list.

## What the severity means in practice

**The three grades**

| Severity | What should happen |
| --- | --- |
| Critical | The equipment is taken out of use immediately and is not used again until the fault is put right. |
| Moderate | Has to be dealt with, but use can continue. Set an assignee and a date. |
| Minor | Keep it under observation, and record it so the trend can be followed. |

> Taking equipment out of use has to be real. A rope and a sign are not a closure if a child can still use the equipment — as long as it can be used, it is in use, and the defect is still critical.

## A defect is not finished until it is closed

The step most often missing is the closure. A list of six-year-old open defects is worse than no list at all: it shows that the system existed and was not followed. Close the defect with a description of what was done, and keep it in the history — that is what shows both what was found and what was done about it.

> Lekko builds on EN 1176 and EN 1177. It says that the equipment has been checked against those standards — not that any national requirement has been met. What makes the standard binding is national law, and that differs across the countries this market covers, so we do not claim to know what applies where you are.

## Questions and answers

### Who should be named as the assignee?

A person, not a function. “The board” is not somebody who can answer for whether the work was done; a name is. It does not have to be the person doing the work, but it has to be somebody who knows whether it happened.

### Can a closed defect be reopened?

Yes, if the problem comes back. That is better than creating a new record: the history then shows that it is the same fault recurring, which is often the most important thing you know about that piece of equipment.

## Sources

- [EN 1176 and EN 1177 – CEN/TC 136 Sports, playground and other recreational facilities and equipment (CEN-CENELEC)](https://www.cencenelec.eu/areas-of-work/cen-sectors/consumer/sports-goods/)

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This guide is published by Lekko – https://lekko.tech/eu/help/defects-observations-and-actions