New EU Standards for Testing Requirements of Internal Blinds

EALING, U.K. - Oct. 24, 2013 - PRLog -- Three European standards are currently under approval. EN 13120:2009/prA1:2012 will be the main test standard for internal blinds, and it includes references to test requirements in PREN 16433:2012(E) Internal blinds – Protection from strangulation hazards – Test methods and PREN 16343: 2012(E) Internal blinds – Protection from strangulation hazards - Requirements and test methods for safety devices.

EN 13120:2009/prA1:2012:(E) – Performance Requirements Including Safety

This standard is a revision of EN 13120:2009 and contains additions and amendments, some of which are highlighted.

The scope is amended to include all internal blinds and the addition of Roman shades, Austrian/Festoon blinds, panel blinds, plantation shutters and roll-up-blinds.

Clause 3: Six new terms and definitions have been included:

- Inner cord or tape
- Pull cord or chain
- Operating loop
- Accessible cord, chain, ball chain or similar
- Hazardous loop
- Hazardous cord, chain, ball chain or similar

Clause 8.2 Protection from strangulation has been completely rewritten. Requirements for breakaway systems, fixed tensioning systems, pull cords and accessible inner cords. Specific requirements relating to safety devices including exposure to UV, mechanical endurance and impact resistance are included.

Clause 15 has been amended concerning warning notices.

An additional annex has been included to show diagrams of common safety systems for protection from strangulation.

It is anticipated that the new standard if approved will be published by March 2014.

PREN 16433:2012 (E) Testing Methods to Protect from Strangulation Hazards

The test methods described are linked to the performance requirements for internal blinds as specified in EN 13120/prA1:2012.

Test of the tensioning system: Where internal blinds are operated by continuous cords forming a loop and maintained under tension, they will not break when under a specified nominal load.
Test of breakaway systems: Where internal blinds have operating systems that have pull cords forming a hazardous loop; the loop shall be eliminated when a vertical weight of 6Kg is applied to the cords.

Accumulation system: Internal blinds where extension/retraction of the curtain and/or tilting of the slats lead to a change in length of the pull cords shall be verified that the full length of pull cords can be accumulated at any position of the curtain, including fully retracted.

Tangling test: Where the operating system of internal blinds consists of two free hanging pull cords, it shall be verified that the two cords cannot tangle producing a hazardous loop.

Inner cords: Inner cords shall be assessed for accessibility using the accessibility probe. Where the cords are accessible and a loop is created, the head probe shall be used to assess any loops.
Safety systems shall meet the requirements of the impact resistance test.
Annex A has a flowchart of testing summarizing the tests to be performed for the evaluation of internal blinds for protection from strangulation.
If approved the standard is expected to be published by the end of 2013.

PREN 16343:2012(E) Requirements and Test Methods for Safety Devices

The scope of the standard specifies the requirements and test methods for safety devices to be used for protection from strangulation. The devices may be fitted to blinds at the time of manufacture or for retrofitting.

Safety devices covered include:

- Tension devices
- Breakaway devices
- Accumulation devices
- Non tangling devices
- Inner cord stops

In the testing of safety devices, all related parts associated with the protection from strangulation shall be considered.

Included within the standard are requirements for exposure to UV, mechanical endurance and the effect of temperature.

Additional requirements that all safety devices must fulfill are also included:

- Release of small components using the small parts test cylinder from EN 71.
- Impact resistance.
- Information and instruction for installation, use and maintenance

If approved, the standard is expected to be published at the end of 2013.

Sources:

(1) SafeGuardS 150/11 Aug 2011 (http://newsletter.sgs.com/eNewsletterPro/uploadedimages/0...)

European Committee for Standardization (CEN): “Doors, windows, shutters, building hardware and curtain walling - Standards under development” (http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshop...)

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