Austria’s first indoor bike park was opened in Ötztal Bahnhof – the necessary installation testing was realised by TÜV AUSTRIA.
In the former e-motorcross hall, Area 47, the Tyrolean outdoor leisure park, has created an indoor offer with a variety of possibilities: From pumptrack and flowline to a technique course – a small practice course for mobile devices – to the jumpline with two approach lines that ends in a bagjump landing.
This versatility leads to enthusiasm among bikers, but is not easy to test, as many factors have to be taken into account. For example, a locked technical room must be provided for bag jump landing, or it must be clearly stated what the procedure is if the landing bag’s blower should fail, and much more. The approach is not exactly easy either, for example, the classification of the landing bag is a difficulty, as it is not a bagjump with a blobber, but also not an inflatable play device, so the manufacturer’s documents of the individual devices were closely examined in order to be able to check all safety-relevant aspects.
An absolute must during the installation inspection: to respond to the individual special features of the facility. A challenge, also because ÖNORM S 4750 on mountain biking infrastructure – planning, execution and operation has only existed since April 2021 and is therefore still in the development phase and is constantly being supplemented and improved. Robert Terp, Business Unit Manager of TÜV AUSTRIA Stage and Leisure Technology, played a major role in the drafting of this ÖNORM, which contains information on the planning, execution and operation of bike parks, trail centres and pump tracks.
Safety has top priority
“For us, it is important to ensure the safety of the users accordingly, or to minimise the risks, in addition to the fun factor,” Christian Schnöller, CEO of Area 47, emphasises the importance of the safety inspection.
The diverse offer of the bike park also does not fully fall within the above-mentioned standard, so although pump tracks with various safety areas to be checked are listed, bag jumps are not explicitly mentioned. It was therefore a particular challenge for test technician Erich Wieland to get an overview of all potential sources of danger and to ensure that the residual risk was limited accordingly, which he succeeded in doing thanks to his experience, adaptability and the necessary tact. Christian Schnöller was also positive in this regard: “The cooperation with TÜV AUSTRIA on this project was an important part of the planning from the very beginning and the technical support and acceptance were very professional.“
An internal pumptrack checklist, which contains a combination of various technical documents from Austria, Germany and Switzerland and provides good reference points for this review, also proved helpful during the audit.
The field of mountain biking, pumptracks, skate parks, rollerblading equipment, etc. is booming and constantly developing. The existing standards have so far dealt with partial aspects of this; in the future, we will have to continue to adapt the basic principles and constantly react to new developments in order to be able to provide the necessary safety in this fast-moving discipline.
SIListra Systems and innotec Partner to Improve Functional Safety
Revolutionizing Functional Safety with Hardware Independent Safety
SIListra Systems GmbH, a highly specialized software company, and innotec GmbH, a consulting company specialized in Functional Safety, announced their strategic partnership to improve the safety development of embedded systems. The collaboration brings together SIListra’s cutting-edge software tool, the certified SIListra Safety Transformer, and innotec expertise in functional safety solutions, aiming for a holistic approach to functional safety.
Recognizing the growing importance of environmental sustainability:
TÜV AUSTRIA Iberia obtains accreditation to certify recycled plastic products (EN 15343)
Into the new year with optimism
Dr. Stefan Haas, CEO TÜV AUSTRIA Group
The Russian war of aggression has still not come to an end, we are witnesses to Israel’s fight against Hamas terror. Natural disasters, environmental pollution and much more cast a dim outlook on the future. So why are we actually optimistic about 2024?
TÜV AUSTRIA Hellas
Recognized at the “Diamonds of the Greek Economy 2023” Awards
TÜV AUSTRIA Hellas has once again affirmed its strong presence in the domestic market by receiving recognition at this year’s “Diamonds of the Greek Economy” awards. The ceremony celebrating business excellence took place on Wednesday 14th of December 2023, at the Grand Bretagne Hotel, attended by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Staikouras, and executives from the country’s most dynamic business groups and organizations. This recognition is a testament to the company’s successful journey, as it continues to grow dynamically, investing in innovation and development.
Closing regulatory gaps quickly
TÜV AUSTRIA published position paper
TÜV AUSTRIA presents requirements and proposed solutions for the assessment of AI systems, recommends a corresponding clarification for the EU AI Act and published a position paper.
IVT Inspections NV has become part of the TÜV AUSTRIA Group
Expansion in non-destructive testing
Check certificate
I am looking for a solution but do not know its title.
