Water leisure spaces, their games, and equipment finally have their own applicable safety standard, the regulation EN 17232. This relatively new regulation joins the existing ones for pools (EN 13451) and water slides (EN 1069)
The current context has brought significant changes in user needs and behavior, placing critical importance on the perception of safety as a key factor in their consumption decisions, especially in the family tourism segment.
In recent years, tourist resorts have been incorporating a variety of new water leisure facilities beyond slides or children’s pools, such as shallow splash areas, water playgrounds, and various water games like buckets or cannons. Fortunately, since February 2020, water games have their own safety criteria that are required by both users and tour operators, as well as other stakeholders in the industry.
Specifically, the EN 17232 standard has been developed by the expert team of the Technical Standardization Committee CTN147 on Sports and Recreational Facilities. It encompasses safety requirements, testing methods, and operational requirements for water play equipment and elements, approved and published by the European Committee for Standardization on May 1, 2020.
We won’t delve into all the points covered by the standard in detail, but below are the most important sections that should be taken into account:
- Safety requirements for materials.
- Restricted safety areas around the equipment.
- Entrapments.
- Walkable areas.
- Electrical installations applicable to the games and their general installation.
- Water quality, ensuring compliance with the quality and levels established in the applicable regulations.
- Installation and installer instructions and information.
- Operating and safety instructions.
- Maintenance and operation inspections.
- Marking and signage of elements and their use.
At The Fun Lab, we advocate for mandatory standardization and compliance with various safety regulations in all types of aquatic spaces.
If your establishment has a water leisure area and you want more information or need assistance to get up to date on the regulations you must comply with, get in touch with us.
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