National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 17232:2020.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee SW/136/8, Swimming pools and aquatic equipment.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary.

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 30 April 2020.

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 5 January 2020.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.

European foreword

This document (EN 17232:2020) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 136 “Sports, playground and other recreational facilities and equipment”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.

This document shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by September 2020, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by September 2020.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Introduction

For the quality of reading and understanding this document, the following wording is used:

shall = requirement;
should = recommendation;
may = permission;
can = possibility.

It is not the purpose of the requirements of this document to lessen the contribution that water play equipment/feature makes to the child's development and/or play, which is meaningful from an educational point of view.

Risk-taking is an essential feature of play provision and of all environments in which children legitimately spend time playing. Play provision aims to offer children the chance to encounter acceptable risks as part of a stimulating, challenging and controlled learning environment. Play provision should aim at managing the balance between the need to offer risk and the need to keep children safe from serious harm.

The principles of safety management are applicable both to workplaces in general as well as to play provision. However, the balance between safety and benefits is likely to be different in the two environments. In play provision, exposure to some degree of risk could be of benefit because it satisfies a basic human need and gives children the chance to learn about risk and consequences in a controlled environment.

The purpose of this document is to ensure a proper level of safety when playing in, on or around water play equipment/feature(s), and at the same time to promote activities and features known to benefit children because they provide valuable experiences that will enable them to cope with situations outside the water play equipment/feature(s).

Respecting the characteristics of children's play and the way children benefit from playing in a water environment with regard to development, children need to learn to cope with risk and this can lead to bumps and bruises and even occasionally a broken limb. The aim of this document is first and foremost to prevent accidents with a disabling or fatal consequence, and secondly to lessen serious consequences caused by the occasional mishap that inevitably will occur in children's pursuit of expanding their level of competence, be it socially, intellectually or physically.

Without striving for completeness, among others the following features could be considered when designing, installing and using water play equipment/feature:

Water (and air) emitting - as described in EN 13451‑3;
Without water (or air) emitting - e.g. a playground feature installed in water play installation;
Solo features - e.g. one step stone;
Groups of features - e.g. a group of step stones;
Normally dry features but with wetted surface by e.g. water cannons, sprays etc.;
Climbable features (intended to be climbed);
Non-climbable features (and not intended to be climbed) - e.g. an elevated spray park structure;
Additional features not intended to be climbed but with the possibility - e.g. artificial rocks, supporting constructions;
Raised and (often) combined features (spray park) with waterslides connected - e.g. a raised spray ground structure;
Raised and (often) combined features (spray park) without waterslides connected - e.g. a raised spray park structure.

1 Scope

This document specifies safety requirements, test methods and operational requirements for installed water play equipment, features and structures:

intended for playing, and
in areas intended for water activities for public use (non-domestic), typically in swimming pool facilities, and
where water is an integral part in the use of the play equipment/feature/structures.

This document also applies for spray parks.

This document does not apply to:

floating leisure articles according to EN ISO 25649 series;
artificial climbing walls according to EN 12572 series;
toys according to EN 71 series;
water slides according to EN 1069 series;
climbing/bouldering walls used in the swimming pool surround according to EN 17164;
water equipment/features (e.g. ornamental fountains) not intended for playing;
water play equipment/features installed in swimming pools for domestic use;
playground equipment according to EN 1176 series.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 Safety requirements

4.1 General

4.2 Structural integrity

4.3 Climbability

4.4 Spaces

4.5 Handrails, barriers, safety barriers

4.6 Surfaces

4.7 Protrusions

4.8 Edges and corners

4.9 Entrapment, crushing and shearing points

4.10 Slip resistance

4.11 Safety of wet barefoot areas

4.12 Fittings

4.13 Removable protection devices

4.14 Alteration of existing equipment

4.15 Water inlets and water outlets

4.16 Forced movement

5 Electricity

6 Water quality

7 Test methods

8 Test report

9 Installation and general instructions

9.1 General

9.2 Pre-information

9.3 Installation

9.4 General information

10 Operational and safety instructions

10.1 General

10.2 Operational instructions

10.3 Signage

11 Inspection and maintenance instructions

11.1 General

11.2 Inspections

11.3 Maintenance instructions

12 Marking

12.1 General

12.2 Water level

Bibliography

BS EN 17232:2020

Water play equipment and features. Safety requirements, test methods and operational requirements

Current, Under Review

Published:

30 Apr 2020