The new EN 13814 series brings about safer amusement devices

Nevertheless, this rate can be improved. But what can operators and manufacturers do in order to ensure that the risks of injury are minimised?

The answer lies in the newly approved series of European standards EN 13814 ‘Safety of amusement rides and amusement devices’. The series is composed of three different parts, each one dedicated to a different phase of the production and usage of amusement services, i.e. temporary or permanently installed machinery and structures which are intended for use as a leisure activity, such as roundabouts, swings, boats, ferris wheels, roller coasters, chutes, booths, side shows, and structures for artistic aerial displays. EN 13814-1, in particular, is dedicated to setting the principles for designing an attraction or ride that is efficient, safe and reliable: it defines safety rules to protect people against the risk of accidents and improves safety through changes in the design, manufacture and operation of amusement rides and devices.

The second part of this series, EN 13814-2, focusses on the maintenance and safe operation of amusement facilities. This standard specifies the minimum requirements for the safe maintenance, operation, control and testing of amusement rides and amusement devices.

Finally, special attention must be paid to monitoring and inspecting attractions, once installed. What to look first? What reflexes to have? The third standard of the series, EN 13814-3, defines the requirements applicable to controls, considering various aspects, such as the review of design documents, control of the manufacturing process, periodic tests, and the electrical equipment. All standards also include recommendation on risky situations, in order to help manage the risks deriving from personal behaviour.

"To meet the demand of European professionals, each one of these standards sweeps a vital aspect of the life of an attraction: design, operation and maintenance, and monitoring and inspection. These three standards provide new tools for all professionals, which aim to respond to a major challenge: ensure the protection of all”, says Svitlana Grand-Chavin, Project Manager Standardization at AFNOR, the French Standardization Institute.

The standards series EN 13814:2019 was developed by CEN/TC 152 – ‘Fairground and amusement park machinery and structures – Safety’, whose scope is standardization in the field of safety for the design, calculation, manufacture, installation, maintenance, use and operation, examination and testing of mobile temporary of permanently-installed machinery and structures for public amusement.

The Secretariat of TC 152 is currently held by UNI, the Italian standardization organization.