Page: 1 BUSINESS PLAN CEN/TC 242 Safety requirements for cableway installations designed to carry persons Business Environment EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Safety requirements for cableway installations designed to carry persons The Alpine skiing areas represent near 3560 km²; 32 million of skiers in Europe (64 millions in the world); Increase of development of people movers Number of European stations represents near 50% of the world market; Parties involved: - Operators; - Manufacturers; - Monitoring authorities; - Prime contractors; - Control offices. Benefits The objective of CEN/TC 242 is to define technical safety requirements for construction, use and maintenance of aerial ropeways, funicular railways and ski tows. These requirements apply to new installations and to modified installations requiring a new delivery acceptance. In 2004, 24 items would be finalised; An increased and more homogeneous safety for the passengers of the cableways installations in Europe and out of Europe - (and also better and safer working conditions for the operating staff); a larger and easier market for the manufacturers and the designers; and consequently potential gains in the global price of the service given to the ropeways public transportation.
Page: 2 1 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT OF THE CEN/TC 242 1.1 The main aspects in the business environment The following political, economic, technical, regulatory, legal, societal and/or international dynamics describe the business environment of the industry sector, products, materials, disciplines or practices related to the scope of this CEN/TC, and they may significantly influence how the relevant standards development processes are conducted and the content of the resulting standards. Cableways are operated throughout the world, and not only in skiing resorts. Safety is of prime importance, for the transported people as for the workers involved in the maintenance operations. Safety, which has to be guaranteed in all operating conditions, relies on adequate properties given to the various elements entering the installation, the cables, the line structures, the carriers, the motors, etc.; it depends also on good management in the operating manoeuvres, and on a good maintenance policy. Developing a European market based upon safety components and safe management procedures, which is the global aim of the CEN/TC 242 activity in producing European standards, makes it also necessary to tackle legal aspects, in view of harmonising the various situations regarding the pre-existing rules imposed by the national authorities to cableways in each country. Legal factors Cable installations were until recently subject to national regulations (concerning both commissioning and operating safety) and not to national standards. For users whose origin is to a large extent international, this situation prevented them from having a clear vision of the nature and extent of the measures adopted in safety-related matters, particularly as far as operating is concerned. National regulations, which concerned both the constituents and the system taken as a whole, were generally drawn up in a very detailed manner and in terms of obligations of means, and they presented major differences. They integrated techniques specific to their national industry, their customs and national know-how: the result was special dimensions and systems, as well as special characteristics generally contradictory from one country to the other. This situation obliged the manufacturers to redefine their equipment for each national market and therefore hampered the setting up of a market of standard equipment s and components. This was prejudicial to their competitiveness, because they were obliged in each case to include additional development, design and production costs and this thereby excluded them from certain markets. Moreover, the responsibility of approving the cableway equipment and installations prior to opening up to the general public, as well as the monitoring during the course of operation, were entrusted in each country to a specialised governmental department. As a consequence the approval of components imposed by the regulations could not be obtained a priori, but at the occasion of a specific order, passed with a defined customer. Such a situation is well known as considerably penalising particularly the non-national constructors, all the more so because the average duration of an initial approval procedure was around 2 years. Moreover this situation gave rise to a more limited choice of suppliers for the operators and a lack of interworkability concerning the renewal market. Under such conditions, with regulatory constraints on both constructors and operators so restrictive, it appeared very difficult to aim at achieving an open and competitive market in the specific field, without envisaging the introduction of a common reference framework: this was launched with the European Directive "European Directive relating to cableway installations designed to carry persons", approved in 2000 under the reference 2000/9/EC.
Page: 3 The directive 2000/9/EC is in force since 4 years and the transitional period is over. A sufficient number of notified bodies is at work. The main part of the standardisation programme is achieved and all the texts of the future harmonized standards are known. The first installations with all their safety components being "CE" marked will be put into service at the end of this year. Social factors As indicated above, an important factor is worker protection. Indeed, a rather high percentage of accidents (in comparison with other person transportation systems) are recorded. Thus, in order to allow the operators of cableways for passenger transport to ensure the operation of these installations under the conditions that are called for, it is necessary that they have operating instructions comprising indications required for this purpose. 1.2 Quantitative Indicators of the Business Environment The following list of quantitative indicators describes the business environment in order to provide adequate information to support actions of the CEN /TC: General information Passenger transportation by rope installations are designed, commissioned and operated with the aim of guaranteeing a service to the public. The operating of these installations is linked to tourism, in particular in mountainous regions, which, taken as a whole, represents one of the major stakes of the future European economy. They are essentially cableways for passenger transport and comprise funicular railways, aerial ropeways (including gondola lifts and chairlifts) and ski tows. Also some people movers such as in airports, large recreation areas or more generally in towns- can be constructed with ropes. Let s consider the ski sector: the alpine skiing areas of the alpine range peripheral countries represents 3560 km² and the number of stations in Europe totals 1000 (out of 2000 world-wide). Surface area of the alpine skiing areas of the alpine range peripheral countries Country km² France 1 180 Switzerland 840 Austria 790 Italy 750 Germany
Page: 4 There were 64 million skiers worldwide, including 32 million in Europe. Country Skiers in 2003 Millions World 64 Europe 32 Austria Czech Republic Finland 1 France 7,6 Germany Italy Norway 1 Slovakia 0,25 Slovenia Spain Sweden 1,7 USA 12 Canada 3 Japan 12 Miscellaneous 5 Interested parties The parties involved in the standardisation process within CEN/TC 242 are as follows: The operators, i.e. the passenger transport cableway companies. They manage and put at the disposal of the general public the cableways for passenger transport. They ensure the legal, economic and technical responsibility of the activity. They are grouped together at international level within FIANET (Fédération Internationale des Associations Nationales d Exploitants de Téléphériques, funiculaires et autres installations de transport par câble pour voyageurs). At the present time, the members are only European associations.
Page: 5 Austria Country Operators in 2003 Number of companies Number of persons France 270 4 256 full-time and 17 777 seasonal workers Italy Switzerland 416 11 000 Austria Germany Great Britain Finland 100 250 full-time and 2 200 seasonal workers Norway 450 300 full-time and 3 000 seasonal workers Slovenia Slovakia 260 Spain Sweden 239 Czech Republic The manufacturers: They are designers and industrialists who sell and produce their own products with their own technologies. They are grouped together at international level within IARM (International Association of Ropeways Manufacturers) The European manufacturers are the biggest in the world. The monitoring authorities (representing the governments, mainly regarding the safety for users): Cableways are subject to vigilant monitoring by the public services within the member states with the concern for guaranteeing the safety of the persons. The responsibility of approving the equipment and installations prior to opening them up to the public, as well as their monitoring during operation are entrusted to a network of specialised governmental services. They are grouped together within ITTAB (Internationale Tage der Technischen Aufsichts- Behörden für Seilbahnen). In addition to these different organisations, OITAF (Organisation Internationale de Transport a Fune) groups together these categories operators, manufacturers and authorities, institutions which do research and experimental work in the field of ropeway business, such as universities, academies and laboratories but also individuals whose work respectively interest is founded in this field- in order to make it easier the settling together of current problems.
Page: 6 Other stakeholders are the professions in charge of the design and various controls: - the prime contractors: they are the designers; - the notified bodies; - the control offices. Number of persons using cableways (Source ITTAB 2003) Country Persons transported (million) in 2002-2003 France 661 Italy 499 Austria 555 Switzerland 331 Germany 95 Norway 81 Spain 47 Finland 50,4 Slovakia Slovenia 2 Sweden 60 Great Britain 0,4 Czech Republic
Page: 7 Number of installations in Europe (European Union) The trend is now to limit new installations in mountainous areas. Consequently, the market for cableways for passenger transport has gone from an equipment market to a more limited market of renewal (a lot of existing installations are becoming obsolete), modernisation (with a flow increase as the main objective) and of progress vis-à-vis the users. Country Number of installations at the end of 2003 New or replacement at the end of 2003 Modification at the end of 2003 France 3995 65 Germany 1617 Austria 3118 Spain Italy 2379 Great Britain Switzerland 2336 Norway 831 40 10 Slovenia 305 Slovakia 900 11 Sweden 806 Finland 472 5 0 Czech Republic
Page 8 In 1991, 1997 and 2003, the penetration of the principal markets was as follows: Installations built Country of origin of the manufacturers Country Number Germany % Austria % France % Italy % Switzerland % 1991 1997 2003 1991 1997 2003 1991 1997 2003 1991 1997 2003 1991 1997 2003 1991 1997 2003 Germany 15 93 Austria 49 0 96 Spain 7 45 24 26 5 France 93 65 4 95 65 Italy 53 44 20 100 60 Switzerland 37 30 0 20 10 7 89 63 Norway 40 0 30 10 15 United Kingdom Poland Czech Republic Slovenia 71 74 3 18 46 22 Slovakia 12 12 11 18 10 20 Sweden 6 Finland 5
Page 9 This table shows the importance of the division of the Community market, the main reason for which being, as mentioned above, the existence of various national regulatory systems. Today, however, a country can no longer count on its domestic market to establish or keep efficient companies. Only a completely open European market will make it possible to keep efficient manufacturers and to confirm Europe in its vocation of the major world exporter. 2 BENEFITS EXPECTED FROM THE WORK OF THE CEN/TC 242 The mission of the CEN/TC 242 is to provide a European system of reference, which on the one hand will allow the professionals concerned to attain a homogeneous level of safety within Europe and, on the other hand, will establish clearer competition conditions. This system of reference is found on the essential requirements of the annex II of the directive, and most of the standards prepared by TC 242 will be harmonised standards. These standards define technical safety requirements for construction, use and maintenance of aerial ropeways, funicular railways and ski tows. These requirements apply to new installations and to modified installations requiring a new delivery acceptance. So the benefits will be: an increased and more homogeneous safety for the passengers of the cableways installations in Europe and out of Europe - (and also better and safer working conditions for the operating staff); a larger and easier market for the manufacturers and the designers; consequently potential gains in the global price of the service given to the ropeways public transportation; and give to every body an easy way to comply with the essential requirements of the directive and to demonstrate this compliance. 3 PARTICIPATION IN THE CEN/TC 242 All the CEN national members are entitled to nominate delegates to CEN Technical Committees and experts to Working Groups, ensuring a balance of all interested parties. Participation as observers of recognised European or international organisations is also possible under certain conditions. To participate in the activities of this CEN/TC, please contact the national standards organisation in your country. 4 OBJECTIVES OF THE CEN/TC AND STRATEGIES FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENT 4.1 Defined objectives of the CEN/TC 242 The programme of standards has been split up according to functional sectors each one corresponding either to a function within the installation (ropes, carriers,..) or to a function within the construction or operation (calculations, rescue). This results in the registration of 24 draft standards in the programme of work.
Page: 10 Each standard includes, as needed, requirements, which are valid for all the types of installations and specific chapters adapted to the various types of appliances (aerial ropeways, funicular railways, ski-tows). Moreover, it includes, if necessary, specifications relative to the methods and processes for verifying and inspecting compliance with the requirements, which they formulate. As for the content of existing standards, its development over the forthcoming years should essentially involve the revisions or amendments taking into account technological advances as well as shortcomings and inaccuracies noted by users of these standards. New subjects could be taking account the Prevention and fight against fire; safety analysis. 4.2 Identified strategies to achieve the CEN/TC s defined objectives. In order to successfully conclude this programme, 12 working groups have been set up, each one being responsible for a work item. But, need for horizontal groups was identified : «worker protection» ad hoc group It guided the working groups so that they took into account the worker protection aspect in the standards for which they are responsible. transport of handicapped persons ad hoc group a Project Team and a Conformity Assessment Team The goal was to ensure the coherence between the standards of the programme and to check whether the standards include satisfactory provisions for conformity assessment. At the end of 2004, 24 items would be finalised. 5 FACTORS AFFECTING COMPLETION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CEN/TC WORK PROGRAMME The drawing up of the CEN/TC 242 programme of standards was a long process ; two (2) reasons are behind this : The consensus was difficult to reach. All of the partners (monitoring authorities, operators and manufacturers) were represented. A direct consequence was this richness of the discussions, but one was obliged to remark the high number of differences of opinion. Moreover, for cultural reasons, the safety levels to be attained and the means implemented for achieving them could differ according to the countries. The application of the standards The CEN/TC 242 programme comprises 24 draft standards, which form a whole and must be applied simultaneously. The disadvantage is that the stage of progress differs according to the draft.