Gymnastics Facilities

If you own a gymnastic facility, you may not be aware that the foam pit cubes used to cushion gymnasts contain flame retardants. Unfortunately, studies have shown that gymnasts, especially children, can have high levels of these toxins in their bodies.

Donoma Gymnastics in Stow Replaces Foam Cubes

Donoma Gymnastics eliminated unnecessary flame retardants from their foam pit cubes providing a healthier environment for children and families while maintaining fire safety. More than 10,000 foam gym pit cubes that contain flame retardants were replaced with new cubes without hazardous chemicals.  The gym received a 2023 small business grant from TURI to support the project. Read the press release or view a December 2023 CBS news story.

Walker's Gymnastics and Dance in Lowell Switches to Non-Flame Retardant Foam Pit Cubes

Flame Retardants and Health Issues

Over a decade of research indicates that some flame retardants can harm the developing brain, have been linked to cancer as well as reproductive health issues, and several are considered endocrine disruptors (mimic hormones and disrupt the thyroid hormone system). Read the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.

Are flame retardants needed in your facility to reduce ignition of fires?

TURI awarded a grant to Silent Spring Institute to investigate fire standards and flame retardant alternatives for the polyurethane foam cubes used in gymnastics facilities. Silent Spring worked with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to test the flammability of the cubes with and without flame retardants.

The WPI research results determined that there was not enough of a benefit for fire protection to make the potential health risks from flame retardants worth it. Read the TURI Guidance Letter to make sure that your facility has measures in place to ensure safety should a fire break out.

2019 Study on How to Protect Gymnasts from Flame Retardants

A 2019 TURI-funded study that tested exposure to flame retardants among gymnasts was published in Environment International. Silent Spring Institute researchers collected hand samples of gymnasts before and after a gym switched the foam pit cubes with ones that didn't contain flame retardants. Read more.