In tourist facilities, as well as in other situations, we are increasingly seeing inflatable installations dedicated to children’s play, and more. The advantages are many: they are removable, rentable structures, perfect for temporary and perhaps itinerant use. They are fun, colorful, and undoubtedly inspire cheerfulness and lightheartedness.
These structures are also often used for aquatic play, either placed in pools or in open water. Sometimes they are themselves equipped with a pool, which is itself inflatable.
These structures, however, like any installation or activity, are also subject to regulations. These are, as always, not only laws, but also technical standards. The importance of technical standards is too often underestimated, since they are considered non-mandatory, when in fact they are practically the only references for determining when and if a piece of equipment can be considered safe.
This aspect, unfortunately, is taken into consideration in the unfortunate case of an accident, and it is at these junctures that we discover, often, that something went wrong.
Since it is always better to prevent than to take action when it is too late, we recommend that you carefully read the article by Water Profession on the topic.
Inflatable slides and pools in public areas, requirements and standards to be met
Jul 4, 2022 | Public Pool Management
Large inflatable structures are very scenic, but for slides and related pools, knowing what laws or regulations to follow is not easy.
Sometimes managers, to supplement their entertainment offerings, hypothesize equipping their center with a large aquatic inflatable structure. There are many of them on the market; buying them is relatively easy. Managing them properly, however, is not.
First of all, because there are few certainties about what needs to be done and thus leave a lot of room for the free interpretation of the entities that have to express themselves, most often without knowing how to frame these structures.
The main problem is that we are faced with two worlds that do not talk to each other: that of amusement facilities, which can be likened to merry-go-rounds, i.e., traveling show attractions, and that of swimming pools and water slides.
Each of the two worlds, so to speak, “pulls the water to its own mill,” not so much in the literal sense but to say that these attractions are of their own compartment and must follow their own rules. In summary, it can be said that they are both right, and let us see why.
The inflatable water slides
This type of entertainment, understood as an inflatable on which you slide and end up in the water, is, for all intents and purposes, a water slide. But it is also an inflatable.
As an inflatable, the slide is subject to the procedure for registration and assignment of the municipal identification code under Ministerial Decree of May 18, 2007, and May be authorized with a traveling show license under Article 69 TULPS , taking advantage of the reduced VAT rate and facilitations on the issuance of tax receipts. In order to install and operate them, a specific permit is required, which includes the opinion of the Municipal Supervisory Commission, as for all shows.
These attractions are subject to a technical standard, UNI EN ISO 25649, which replaced UNI EN 15649, which has been withdrawn. The technical standard provides all the safety requirements that these types of inflatables must have.
So far, so good.
What about the standard for water slides? We are talking about UNI EN 1069, which includes from 2019 water slides of any height, even less than 2 meters, and does not exclude inflatables from the scope. It does, however, exclude water slides with an average slope of 70% or less.
Uni EN 1069 is not applicable except in part to an inflatable: handrails, railings, stairs made of non-slip material cannot be installed on an inflatable. So what? And so, better to look for a slide with an average slope of less than 70%, so as to be excluded from the scope.
Otherwise, we are faced with a confusing situation that is unlikely to be cleared up, except in the unfortunate event of a serious accident that could have been avoided by applying EN 1069. As is often the case, it will be the Man in Black who will decide which standard prevails over the other.
Inflatable swimming pools
In this case settling the question is easier. What is a swimming pool?
TheState-Regions Agreement of 2003 defines: 1.1 A swimming pool is defined as a complex equipped for bathing involving the presence of one or more artificial basins used for recreational, educational, sports and therapeutic activities exercised in the water contained in the basins.
The UNI EN 15288 standard in section 3.1 says: Swimming pool= A facility, with one or more water areas, intended for swimming, recreation or other physical activities in water.
No distinction with the inflatable, no exception.
When a water slide ends up in a swimming pool and not in open water such as lakes or the sea, the pool must be up to standard as a swimming pool because water quality must be ensured.
Since it is impossible to make skimmers or overflow recirculation systems in an inflatable, according to UNI 10637, it is evident that an inflatable pool will very hardly be able to be up to standard. It might be possible to bring the system, meaning the filters and pumps, up to standard, but it will be very difficult to do so with the structure.
Conclusions
Be careful, then, when installing these attractions. Do not assume that if someone sells them it means they can be sold. The manager is responsible, not the seller. Analyze the situation well, then, and find the right way to entertain your customers without taking risks!
To learn more, click here to read the article edited by Maurizio Crisanti, “A Blog on Amusement Parks.”
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