Press and Media

22. September 2021

E-learning ensures safety at amusement parks

TÜV SÜD will present its portfolio of “Safety for Amusement Parks and Rides” services at IAAPA Expo Europe in Barcelona (Hall 1, Stand 1-1007). Online training courses for operators and staff are a new addition to the range of services on offer which also includes safety checks for water parks as well as retrofit measures for mobile rides. The trade show for amusement parks and rides will take place from 28 to 30 September 2021.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) help to ensure amusement rides and equipment can be run safely. “Managers must provide all staff working on the rides with individual SOPs for each installation, covering the complete operating procedure from opening to closing and including emergency and evacuation plans”, says Christian Falk, Head of the Amusement Ride Industry Department at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH. “Staff are trained and examined in the individual work steps.” Given the restrictions currently imposed on in-person events because of the COVID-19 pandemic, TÜV SÜD is now providing online training courses as well for managers, operators and supervisory personnel. These courses cover a comprehensive range of aspects, from the relevant legal principles involved to production of SOPs for individual installations and complete parks.

TÜV SÜD’s “Safety Check for Adventure Pools and Water Parks” service supports the managers of these facilities in fulfilling their responsibilities and complying with increasingly rigorous safety requirements. The testing, inspection and certification provider worked with Frankfurt/Main-based company corporate momentum GmbH to draw up a catalogue of criteria. Based on a modular structure, the catalogue addresses wide-ranging aspects from inspection of an individual water slide in accordance with EN 1069 to certification of an entire pool complex for compliance with EN 15288 and other relevant standards and regulations. Risks are reliably identified by experienced experts. Facility managers receive in-depth documentation of the safety check, enabling them to verifiably improve their operational safety and safety levels. This in turn boosts the attractiveness of their facility for tourism companies by reducing liability risks.

Retrofit for temporary structures and amusement rides
The condition and operational safety of mobile rides and temporary structures must be inspected before they are placed into operation and periodically thereafter. At IAAPA Expo Europe, the experts from TÜV SÜD will be on hand with information about their “Retrofit EN 13814/17842” concept, which supports ride managers in achieving compliance with the relevant standards in their retrofitting and modernisation activities. The concept also covers certification of individual installations and complete leisure parks as well as their associated processes and infrastructure. It enables equipment and installations to be aligned to the state of the art and gives the green light to their continued operation. Failure to comply will result in withdrawal of their approval to operate in Germany; many countries including Switzerland, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, prohibit the operation of installations built to the old standard and not yet updated.

International expertise
Performing over 2,000 tests and inspections annually, TÜV SÜD is the global leader for safety, quality and sustainability services for amusement parks and rides. The company’s independent, impartial experts support manufacturers and managers of these leisure facilities throughout their products’ life cycle, starting with development and purchase and taking in inspection of technical documentation, initial handover, quality assurance and periodical inspections. As well as Germany, the company provides services in numerous countries including Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the Middle and Near East, Singapore, Hong Kong, the USA and Canada.

For more information on TÜV SÜD’s services and “Fit for Kids” and “Green Amusement Parks” certification, visit www.tuvsud.com/en/industries/infrastructure-and-rail/infrastructure/amusement-rides-and-leisure-parks

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Press contact: Dr. Thomas Oberst