The COVID-19 pandemic has presented enormous challenges for the leisure industry. TÜV SÜD supports managers of amusement parks and rides to ensure their amenities are safe even under unusual or special conditions. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are a key tool in these support services. Individual SOPs are drawn up for each installation, covering the complete operating procedure from opening to closing and including emergency and evacuation plans. "Managers must provide all staff working on the rides with these SOPs", explains Christian Falk, Head of the Amusement Ride Industry Department at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH. The testing, inspection and certification (TIC) company provides online training courses for amusement park managers, operatives and supervisory personnel. These courses cover a comprehensive range of aspects, from the relevant legal principles involved to production of SOPs for individual installations and complete parks.

Retrofitting – updating temporary structures and amusement rides

The condition and operational safety of mobile rides and temporary structures must be inspected before they are placed into operation and periodically thereafter. At IAAPA Expo Europe, the experts from TÜV SÜD will be on hand with information about their "Retrofit EN 13814/17842" concept, which supports ride managers in achieving compliance with the relevant standards in their retrofitting and modernisation activities. The concept also covers certification of individual installations and complete leisure parks as well as their associated processes and infrastructure. It enables equipment and installations to be aligned to the state of the art and gives the green light to their continued operation. Failure to comply will result in withdrawal of their approval to operate in Germany. Many other countries, including Switzerland, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, prohibit the operation of amusement park installations built to older standards and not yet updated.

International expertise and "Maintenance and Operations" certification for amusement park rides

Performing over 2,000 tests and inspections annually, TÜV SÜD is the global leader for safety, quality and sustainability services for amusement parks and rides. The company’s independent, impartial experts support manufacturers and managers of these leisure amenities throughout their products‘ life cycle, starting with development and purchase and taking in inspection of technical documentation, initial handover, quality assurance and periodical inspections. TÜV SÜD’s "Maintenance and Operations" certification for amusement park rides has introduced a new service specifically targeted at the managers and operators of these facilities. As Christian Falk explains, "The certification is aimed at ensuring that all operational safety requirements are clearly defined and that all operatives and responsible persons are familiar with the specific features and characteristics of the facility and the processes involved, together with the requisite technical knowledge."

TÜV SÜD’s expertise in the field of amusement parks and rides is in demand all over the world. As well as Germany, the company provides services in numerous countries including Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, the Middle and Near East, Singapore, Hong Kong, the USA and Canada. For more information on TÜV SÜD’s services in this industry, visit https://www.tuvsud.com/….