Unknown BS EN 15649 5 2009 ICS 97 200 50 NO COPYING WITHOUT BSI PERMISSION EXCEPT AS PERMITTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW BRITISH STANDARD Floating leisure articles for use on and in the water Part 5 Additional[.]
General
The construction of floating leisure articles must meet specific design, dimension, safety, strength, and durability standards for their intended use These requirements ensure compliance with essential safety considerations When buoyancy is provided by multiple components, all components must adhere to these standards For class C floating leisure articles, it is crucial to maintain residual buoyancy in the event of an air chamber failure, ensuring the device remains safe even if its primary function is compromised.
Towables must be designed to ensure that the rider is at least partially visible to the observer in their intended position, facilitating effective communication between the rider and the observer.
In addition to this document (EN 15649-5), all requirements of EN 15649-1 and EN 15649-2 apply also for class C devices
EN 15649-1 and EN 15649-2 serve as general standards, but due to the unpredictability and variability of current and future products, test houses must make appropriate selections on a case-by-case basis.
Test Conditions
If not otherwise stated, all tests shall be carried out at an air temperature of (20 ± 3) °C.
Design
EN 15649-5:2009 (E) formance if these parameters depend on distinct body positions for which an available area has to be provided This applies in particular if child use is included
4.3.2 Sizing, admissible number of users and maximum load capacity
Towables must be appropriately sized based on their maximum passenger capacity This size information should be clearly indicated to users through safety symbols that specify the "number of users, adults/children" and the "user's body weight range … to …kg," as outlined in EN 15649-2, both on the packaging and the product itself.
Visual inspection, application of seat template
4.3.3 C1 devices, space per person (passive user, including children)
4.3.3.1 C1 tubes or other near-ring shaped devices
C1 devices must feature a closed cockpit with inflatable ring-shaped tubes surrounding the passenger, especially if intended for child use The design should ensure that there is sufficient space for a six-year-old child to sit comfortably inside the device, meeting the specified seat template requirements.
EN 15649-1:2009, A.1.2 fits in to the available area
Apply seat template as specified in EN 15649-1:2009, A.1
Check whether this template can be placed into the interior sitting area without the need to bend or fold it
4.3.3.2 C1 bikes, bananas, etc (user sitting in row on the product)
C1 devices must ensure that the available seat area in a row provides a seat length of 60 cm per person For devices accommodating multiple users in a line, each user's sitting space must have a minimum length of 60 cm.
child = 50 cm if the thighs follow the seat surface
adult = 70 cm if the thighs follow the seat surface
Apply seat template as specified in EN 15649-1:2009, A.1
Check whether this template can be placed into the interior sitting area without the need to bend or fold it
4.3.4 C2 and C3 devices, space per person
C2 and C3 devices are used in a much more divert manner There are no requirements with regard to mini- mum available areas for these categories
4.3.5 Grab handles, availability and strength
Each admissible user must have access to at least one grab handle These handles or alternative holding mechanisms should be strategically placed to ensure they can be easily grasped while sitting or in the intended position.
Handles must maintain a maximum gap of 30 mm from the surface, ensuring safety by preventing hand or finger entrapment Additionally, this gap should not widen when subjected to a pulling force of at least 300 N.
Diameter of any tubes or pipes used are only allowed < 8 mm or > 25 mm to ensure that no finger gets en- trapped
Grab handles shall meet the tensile test as specified below Any means of holding on shall be designed to avoid entanglement or entrapment
Visual inspection and measurement For measuring strength of handles, apply the test method as given in
EN ISO 6185-1:2001, 6.7.2 The pulling force shall be at least 1 kN
The practical test will demonstrate that the device offers adequate buoyancy to fulfill all in-water performance requirements, even when accommodating the maximum allowable number of individuals.
All floating class C devices must maintain residual buoyancy after the failure of the most likely air chamber, ensuring a minimum of 60 N of buoyancy per allowable person Practical in-water tests must demonstrate that each permissible individual can grasp the remaining structure effectively.
Open one valve to deflate the chamber most likely to fail and measure both volumes and compare the values before and after
4.3.8 Foot, leg and torso entrapment
The requirements and testing procedures outlined in EN 15649-1:2009, sections 5.2 to 5.4, must be adhered to Specifically, when the harness system is connected at multiple points on the towable, it is essential that the minimum gap size between the harness and the towable meets the child torso probe criteria as specified in section 5.4 of EN 15649-1:2009.
4.3.8.2 Handles, foot rest or knee straps for supporting the users during use
In order to avoid entrapment, handles shall not be positioned in areas intended for knee and/or foot rest of the user
Handles should not have movable or rotating components
Foot and knee supports shall be positioned in the ergonomically appropriate position to assist the user to ob- tain a safe and secure hold while being towed
There shall be no loose rope ends, which could result in entanglement
4.3.9 Valves and other protruding parts
In order to avoid injury or hindrance any protruding hard objects, e.g valves, shall not be located in the area(s) intended to be occupied by the user(s)
Check whether action areas are free from any hindrance
Requirements and test methods as specified in EN 15649-1:2009, 5.5 apply
4.3.11 Strength of towing device attachment
The materials and design must ensure that the specified maximum load does not harm the air chambers, cover, or any other components of the entire system linking the towing rope to the towed device.
The device must be tested in a manner that allows for the application of specified loads and load directions Tensile forces should be applied as indicated, particularly in the direction that is most likely to lead to failure Additionally, for devices designed to hydroplane or become airborne (C3 devices), a downward force at a 45° angle must also be applied.
3 up to 5 people towable, 3 kN;
6 up to 10 people towable, 6 kN
The towing system connecting the means of propulsion (mostly a motor boat) with the towable shall meet the requirements in accordance with 4.3.13 to 4.3.16
Towing ropes shall be conspicuous to all parties involved This requirement is deemed to be met if the colour of the rope is clearly contrasted to the water coloration
The entire towing systems shall float when detached from both the boat and the towable
Check whether the towing device does not sink when detached
All fittings shall be corrosion resistant (supplier's certificate) There shall be no sharp edges, points or other deficiencies likely to cause injuries
The towing rope must not produce a whipping effect when it breaks or is released from the towable Additionally, the rope's elongation under the specified forces should be limited to less than 4%.
NOTE Tow ropes with elastic components are exempt from this requirement
To assess the elongation of a tow rope, first measure a specified length of the rope while applying a pre-load of 200 N Next, increase the load to 2 kN and record the resulting increase in length Finally, calculate the percentage increase in length based on the initial measurement.
Alternatively, the elasticity of the rope may be proven by a supplier's certificate
The test force shall be applied for 1 min
In-water performance
Practical in-water tests are essential for assessing the functionality and safety of towables, ensuring they pose no risks to users Due to the subjective nature of these tests, they are recognized as the standard method for evaluating water sports equipment This approach is particularly important for identifying potential safety hazards associated with C2 and C3 devices.
Test subjects should possess moderate experience in water sports, including skiing and windsurfing The quantity of test subjects must adhere to the supplier's guidelines for the device, in accordance with the body-related safety information symbol outlined in EN 15649-2.
In addition to the body weight / body size selection criteria the following capability requirements apply:
C1/C2 devices: Test subjects shall have experience in water sports such as water ski, wind surfing, C1 products or similar activities
C3 devices: Test subjects shall be specialists in good physical condition and with advanced experience in the use of C1, C2 towables
All test subjects shall wear immersion suits and adequate flotation devices during the in-water test All test subjects testing C3 devices shall additionally wear head protection helmets
To minimize the subjectivity of the test, a collective assessment will be conducted by a test panel as outlined in EN 15649-1:2009, section 3.8 This panel will evaluate the requirements that cannot be assessed objectively, specifically those detailed in sections 4.4.6 to 4.4.10.
4.4.4 Selection of water craft and towing personnel for testing
The watercraft must possess sufficient power to achieve the specified maximum speed and be equipped with necessary safety features for towing and testing Additionally, an observer, as outlined in section 3.8, must accompany the boat driver.
4.4.5 Test conditions, test course, duration of test, test speed, wind speed
A large, unoccupied water area without floating or underwater obstacles or underwater currents Test runs in relation to the true wind direction shall be as specified below
direct heading to true wind;
bow quarter, starboard (45° to true wind);
bow quarter, port side (45° to true wind)
stern quarter, starboard (135° to true wind);
stern quarter port side (135° to true wind)
beam wind starboard (90° to true wind);
beam wind port side (90° to true wind)
Each test course ride will last 10 minutes, irrespective of the number of subjects on the towable All courses must adhere to the manufacturer's specified test speed, and wind conditions must meet the supplier's maximum allowable wind speed guidelines.
At the conclusion of this cycle, a rapid speed reduction test will be conducted to simulate an emergency stop of the towing boat or a halt due to engine failure This will involve swiftly reducing the maximum speed by shifting the throttle to idle (zero throttle) and allowing the towing vessel to decelerate naturally.
The transition between test runs, such as shifting from a 45° wind from the left to a 45° wind from the right, should be executed by maneuvering in a curve at maximum speed Additionally, each device must undergo an in-water test that includes a 180° U-turn performed at maximum speed.
In addition to the sheer test courses, it shall be guaranteed that the rides include all movements e.g rotating, jumping, etc for which the devices tested are purposely designed
Where devices are fitted with a quick release, they shall be tested with and without a quick release mecha- nism under maximum allowable speed
C3 devices that become airborne shall be tested as follows:
flying downwind at maximum allowed wind speed;
flying beam-wind at maximum allowed wind speed;
starting / landing with maximum / minimum number of passengers
4.4.7 Efficiency of drainage system for inflatable chambers designed with an external cover
Towables of all classes shall be designed to prevent large quantities of water accumulating inside the device during use This water shall drain away through efficient drainage systems
This requirement is not applicable if water is intentionally taken in order to acts as ballast for stabilisation, etc Pass/fail criteria, see 4.4.11
4.4.8 Entrapment, entanglement, additional practical in-water test during capsizing
The in-water test will involve a controlled capsizing of the fully loaded towable, following the supplier's guidelines It is essential to demonstrate that during this capsizing, no test subjects become trapped or entangled while transitioning from the device into the water.
4.4.9 Re-embarkation, practical in-water test
The in-water test will involve a controlled capsizing of the fully loaded towable, following the supplier's guidelines It must be shown that the towable is engineered to enable test subjects to re-board the device, with the first individual to re-embark allowed to assist others in the process.
4.4.10 Residual buoyancy, additional practical in-water test
Following the deflation of the air chamber, it is crucial to ensure that all designated users can securely grip the device, maintaining their airways above water level, even in the absence of a flotation device.
The assessment panel will evaluate compliance with requirements specified in sections 4.4.6 to 4.4.10, ensuring that all test criteria are met for a positive assessment Key considerations include the safe usage of the towable by test subjects, the absence of near-dangerous situations, and any complaints regarding space, slipperiness, and support features Additionally, the effectiveness of water drainage, the ability for users to re-embark, and sufficient buoyancy and grip must be confirmed The panel will also check for any damage or abrasion to protective clothing and ensure safe deceleration of towed devices after a sudden stop without collision with the towing boat.
In determining the result of the test, there shall be at least a majority decision
5 Required capabilities of the test persons being towed
C1 Ability to understand the process (ride), to be able to swim, to be able to hold one self also under high speed and dynamic conditions (inclination, impacts, acceleration, etc.)
NOTE Children below the age of 6 years are not supposed to dispose of these skills
C2 In addition to C1: Experienced user familiar with similar water related devices, adequate physical strength and the ability to assess the related risks
C3 In addition to C1 and C2: The user has built up further experience in performing extreme actions and managing the device when lifting from the water surface, flying and landing
In all cases of application, it is recommended that the test subjects wear an adequate personal flotation device
General
The following applies to private and commercial use
Consumer information shall be in accordance with EN 15649-2 as far as applicable
The specific requirements listed in Clause 7 shall be met
Safety information symbols to be applied (see EN 15649-2).
Intended use
The manufacturer must provide a comprehensive description of the intended use for all class C devices, which includes crucial information such as a warning against exceeding the maximum number of riders specified Additionally, details regarding the operating conditions must be clearly outlined.
maximum/minimum number of load and persons c) The data related to:
category (C1, C2 or C3 including explanations of these categories).
Responsibilities
The watercraft driver is responsible for the safe operation and use of the towable
NOTE All local regulations apply
The driver shall check that all possible adaptable devices are adapted for the rider
Be sure the rider is properly mounted on/in the device before starting to accelerate
Obey all driving and speed rules related to safety and to the towing area being used
As towables require permanent observation, the use of jet skis as towing craft is not recommended
Agree upon communication signals (see 8.1) with the rider
Take care of necessary communication with the watercraft driver according to the circumstances
The rider shall be under constant observation during towing
Make yourself familiar with the towable and understand the intended position of use
Make yourself familiar with all signals and separation devices; see Clause 8 (if applicable)
Understand the warnings, written text and/or safety information symbols published by the manufacturer
7 Written warnings in the manual
General
The manual for class C devices must include essential warnings such as familiarizing yourself with the towable before use, reading all warnings and instructions in the manual and on the towable, and ensuring compliance with model-specific guidelines It is crucial to follow the inflation order of air chambers indicated on the towable and to install the outer cover according to the manufacturer's instructions Additionally, the towing line should be attached as per the manufacturer's guidelines Users are advised to wear protective clothing to prevent skin abrasion and a cold water suit, while C3 towable users should wear an appropriate helmet and be at least 14 years old.
Warnings
The warnings outlined below must be presented as a label (refer to Figure 1) and included in the user instructions, as well as printed on the class C device in a location that is clearly visible when the device is in use.
For commercial use, ensure that the safety warnings provided by the manufacturer are made available to each rider
Figure 1 — Warning label (minimum content)
Instructions
The instructions for class C devices shall at least contain the following:
To minimize the risk of injury or death while using towables, adhere to the following safety guidelines: always have a responsible and experienced watercraft driver; ensure riders avoid contact with each other if the towable accommodates multiple people; never attach anyone to the towable or its cover; keep hands and feet clear of handles and the towing rope attachment system; avoid wedging limbs under the towable cover; remove any debris that could pose a safety hazard; recognize your physical limits and stop if you feel tired; inspect the towing rope and connectors for any damage before each use, discarding any worn or frayed ropes; use only ropes specifically designed for towables; follow the signaling instructions provided; and remember that the watercraft driver is ultimately responsible for the safe operation of the towable.
General
C1 and C2 devices must be designed to enable riders to remove at least one hand from the gripping handles for effective communication with observers through hand signals If this design is not feasible, alternative signal devices should be implemented that can be activated without releasing a hand from the device These signal devices serve to indicate that there is an issue and that the rider requests to stop the ride In all other situations, the hand signals with specific meanings, as detailed below, should be utilized.
NOTE Alternatively for the purpose of indicating, an emergency situation the red flag can be used.
Hand signals
The following illustrated signals (see Figure 2 to Figure 11) are used to communicate between rider and the observer
Figure 3 — Slower: palm down or thumb down
Figure 4 — Speed OK: thumb and forefinger in cycle symbol
Figure 5 — Right turn: point to towable's right
Figure 7 — Stop: palm facing towards the boat
Figure 8 — Cut motor: forefinger pointing to the chin
Figure 9 — Rider OK after fall: clasp hands over head
Figure 10 — Pick me up or fallen rider: put up both arms
Figure 11 — Back to drop-off area: circular motion with forefinger pointing downward
Signal devices
The watercraft shall be equipped with a towing streamer/flag in order to advise other watercrafts that towing is occurring
The following sub classes/products dealt with in this specific part of EN 15649 are exempted from the general requirements included in EN 15649-1 and EN 15649-2 as listed below:
There are no specific test postures designated for this product class; instead, testing should follow the manufacturer's guidelines to ensure optimal use of the product.
Towables and their towing ropes should ideally feature a quick release system for safety This release mechanism must be easily accessible to the rider, observer, or boat driver.
Category Single rider/ multiple riders Presence of quick release Position of quick release Obligatory/ optional Remarks
(in case of use by children below the age of 14 on towing boat) obligatory national rules shall be considered additionally
C2 — — — — quick release considered to be of no positive use
In the instructions for use, the user (rider) should be advised not to trigger the quick release for interrupting a normal safe ride without urgent reasons
Examples of typical products forming Class C
Figure B.1 — Examples of typical products forming Class C
[1] EN 71-1, Safety of toys — Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties
[2] EN 1176-1, Playground equipment and surfacing — Part 1: General safety requirements and test methods
[3] EN 13138-1, Buoyant aids for swimming instruction — Part 1: Safety requirements and test methods for buoyant aids to be worn
[4] EN 13138-2, Buoyant aids for swimming instruction — Part 2: Safety requirements and test methods for buoyant aids to be held
[5] EN 13138-3, Buoyant aids for swimming instruction — Part 3: Safety requirements and test methods for swim seats to be worn
[6] EN ISO 6185-2, Inflatable boats — Part 2: Boats with a maximum motor power rating of 4,5 kW to
[7] EN ISO 6185-3, Inflatable boats — Part 3: Boats with a maximum motor power rating of 15 kW and greater (ISO 6185-3:2001)
[8] EN ISO 12402-5, Personal flotation devices — Part 5: Buoyancy aids (level 50) — Safety require- ments (ISO 12402-5:2006)