User safety is particularly important in gyms and sports halls. This applies not only to school sports, but also, of course, to club and competitive sports. The aim is to avoid serious injuries and to ensure that sports are practised in a safe and sports-appropriate manner. The ceilings and installation elements of sports halls are also important in this regard. Since such equipment often comes into contact with balls during sports activities, it must meet important requirements and conditions. The minimum ceiling height is specified in the standards depending on the type of sports hall. It is usually between 5 and 7 metres. Installation elements are permanently installed fixtures which will usually not be dismantled, including doors, gates, windows, wall bars and fastening devices.

Therefore, ceiling or installation elements must not be damaged when balls are thrown. Above all, they must not become detached or fall onto athletes in the sports hall. This would pose a significant risk of injury. It is therefore particularly important that the installation and safety against ball throwing of the ceilings meet the requirements of the applicable standards. In Germany, the relevant standards are DIN 18032-1 and 18032-3.

The standards are developed in a special working committee with a panel of experts and adopted by consensus. The whole process is overseen by the European Committee for Standardisation or the German Institute for Standardisation, and the standards are then published as reference works by a specialist publisher for a fee. A standard is reviewed every five years to ascertain whether any amendments are required.