EN 71-14 Safety Standard for Trampolines for Domestic Use

As a popular home entertainment and fitness equipment, trampolines bring joy to children and families, but they also come with potential risks that cannot be ignored. To ensure the safety of trampolines for domestic use, the European Union issued a specific standard, BS EN 71-14:2018 "Safety of toys - Part 14: Trampolines for domestic use". This article will comprehensively interpret the core requirements of this standard to help enterprises understand and implement product safety design.

Overview of the EN 71-14 Standard

EN 71-14:2018 is a specific standard for particular products within the EN 71 series of Toy Safety Standards. It aims to reduce the risk of mechanical and physical injuries that children may face when using domestic trampolines, such as falls, collisions, and entrapments. The standard specifies detailed requirements for the design, structure, material strength, test methods, and safety information labeling of domestic trampolines, ensuring the safety of the products throughout their expected lifespan.

1.1 Key Standard Information

Safety Requirements of the EN 71-14 Standard

EN 71-14 builds a safety protection net for domestic trampolines from multiple dimensions:

• Structural integrity: Requires that the connections of components such as the trampoline frame, springs, jumping mat, and enclosure are firm and able to withstand the expected dynamic load to prevent collaPSE or breakage during use.

• Edges and points: All accessible edges, points, and protrusions must be rounded or protected to avoid the risk of cuts or puncture wounds.

• Clearances and openings: Strictly limits the sizes of clearances in the trampoline structure that could entrap a child's head, fingers, or limbs to prevent pinching or entrapment injuries.

• Stability: The trampoline should not overturn during normal use and slight tilting, which is typically verified through stability testing.

• Enclosure (Safety Net): Sets specific requirements for the height, strength, and mesh size of the enclosure, as well as the cushioning treatment of its poles, to effectively prevent users from falling off.

• Spring coverage: Springs must be effectively covered to prevent the user's hands, feet, or other body parts from being trapped by or impacted by the springs.

Material Performance and Test Methods

The standard references multiple test methods to verify the reliability of materials:

• Material strength testing: References standards such as EN ISO 13934-1:2013 to test the tensile strength of textiles like the jumping mat and enclosure.

• Durability and aging testing: Evaluates the corrosion resistance of metal components and the UV aging resistance of plastic parts by referencing ISO 9227:2017 (salt spray testing) and EN ISO 4892-3:2016 (xenon arc aging), etc.

• Shock absorption testing: Evaluates the impact attenuation performance of the jumping mat system to reduce the impact on the users' joints.

In addition, the standard also harmonizes its relationship with the ISO 25649 series of standards related to floating leisure articles (water trampolines).

Safety Information and Labeling Requirements

Clear warnings and instructions are crucial aspects of preventing accidents. EN 71-14 requires:

• Age warning: Clearly indicate the applicable age range (typically not recommended for children under 3 years old).

• Maximum weight capacity: Clearly label the maximum user weight or the number of users allowed on the trampoline.

• Safe usage instructions: Provide detailed instructions for installation, use, maintenance, and storage, including warnings against performing dangerous moves (such as somersaults) on the trampoline.

• Graphical symbols: Use easily understandable pictograms to illustrate correct and incorrect ways of use.