On many occasions, when we talk about our accredited activity of water slide inspection, people often think that it simply involves testing the rides and issuing a report giving our opinion on whether they are safe or not. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Firstly, as we have detailed in previous posts, our activity is entirely based on verifying that a facility meets all the points outlined in the European standard EN 1069 (parts 1 and 2), concerning the safety of water slides.
Measurement Requirements for Acceleration and Speed in Water Slide Inspection
Normatively, standard EN-1069-1:2017-A1:2019 specifies in section 9.3 the procedure and requirements that inspection entities must follow to check accelerations and average and maximum speeds on a water slide.
These physical variables are crucial whenever we discuss the safety of these attractions since proper slide design should aim to minimize risks associated with potential accidents related to excessive acceleration and/or sliding speed by users.
Which slides require sliding tests?
Sliding tests must be carried out on types classified between ranges 3 to 10, according to regulations. It is essential for the client to demand from the slide manufacturer the type of slide they plan to design, regardless of any commercial name the slide might have.
For example:
- Type FREEFALL (specified in regulations) vs KAMIKAZE (commercial name).
- Typology 5 according to standard EN 1069-1:2017-A1:2019.
When should sliding tests be conducted?
These tests should be performed as part of the commissioning process by one or more slide technicians. If the technician or technicians are not directly designated by law, the designation will be made through an agreement between the provider and the client. It is preferable for the technician to be independent of the manufacturer or operator.
How should sliding tests be conducted?
Only authorized sliding positions specified by the manufacturer should be applied, wearing swimwear and using sliding aids such as floaters if indicated.
Requirements for the technician in charge of slide inspection
Practical tests should be carried out by a slide technician with the necessary knowledge and experience in the field of water slides, including:
- good physical condition
- theoretical knowledge of evaluation methods, measurement equipment, and practical sliding experience allowing them to achieve the most extreme sliding conditions.
Use of an exclusive technological tool from The Fun Lab for measuring acceleration and speed on water slides
After this brief introduction to the procedures and requirements outlined in the regulations regarding sliding tests, let’s talk about one of the big secrets linked to our inspection activity – our technological tool: the accelerometer.
Since we began the accreditation process and with the goal of meeting the calculation criteria for the mentioned physical variables, we were clear that we wanted to use technology to make these measurement procedures as accurate and digital as possible, going beyond current systems that use an analog stopwatch and the application of kinematics formulas for a moving body.
Therefore, after months of research and development, we were finally able to have a technological tool that precisely indicates accelerations and speeds throughout the entire slide during an inspection, an apparatus calibrated and validated by an accredited laboratory.
Let’s see an example of the data offered and how our measurement team works in a real inspection.
Geolocation of measurement equipment:
Important for proving that sliding tests have been carried out on the installation and the inspected slides.
Results obtained after sliding tests:
GPS*,38.564189, -0.088694,0.00,120722,111701.000,3491
Location: Starting point
- GPS,38.564045, -0.088592,23.39,120722,111705.000,3479
- GPS, 38.563971, -0.088518,29.50,120722,111708.000,3480
Location: Maximum sliding speed point
- GPS,38.564015, -0.088476,7.59,120722,111712.000,3541
- GPS,38.564037,-0.088493,1.24,120722,111715.000,3490
* Being GPS: Longitude and latitude, SPEED: Unit of measure m/s,, DATE: DayMonthYear, TIME: HourMinutesSeconds
Exact point of the slide where the measurement was taken:
We are fortunate to work in a highly enjoyable activity, but this does not exempt it from complexities, technical challenges, and continuous efforts to find the best technological solutions to make each process as efficient and precise as possible.
In conclusion, no effort is spared to ensure the most important thing, both for user families and for the establishments promoting these installations: safety.
