Cableway compliance sorted! With help from easyCE.

The regulation replaced Directive 2000/9/EC. It addresses new installations and modifications requiring a new authorisation, alongside the placing on the market of subsystems and safety components. Its exclusions must be checked for the specific application.

Examples include cable cars, funicular railways and drag lifts within the regulation’s scope. The complete installation and an individual safety component have different conformity and authorisation responsibilities.

This includes familiar ski-lift arrangements such as T-bar lifts. The intended use and installation design determine the applicable requirements.

It is distinct from supplying a subsystem or safety component. National procedures govern authorisation of construction and putting the installation into service.

This product-manufacturer role should be distinguished from the person responsible for the complete cableway installation. Assign the documentation and approval responsibilities clearly at the start of the project.

The person responsible for the installation submits the required safety and conformity documents to the competent authority or body. CE marking of the subsystems and safety components is only one part of the evidence.

The operating conditions, restrictions, monitoring arrangements, adjustment and maintenance requirements must also be documented. The assessment must reflect the actual installation, its surroundings and the way the components interact.

• A description of the subsystem or safety component.
• Design and manufacturing drawings, diagrams and explanations of operation.
• The requirements and standards used, together with design calculations, examinations and test reports.
• Instructions and safety information.
• For subsystems, the EU declarations of conformity for the incorporated safety components.

Manufacturers retain the technical documentation and EU declaration of conformity for thirty years after the product is placed on the market.

Assess the intended safety function and the installation interfaces, rather than treating every spare part as a safety component.

The regulation does not use CE marking as a substitute for national authorisation of the complete cableway installation.

Where this is not possible or justified because of the product’s nature, it is placed on the packaging and accompanying documents. Apply the notified body’s identification number as required for the production-control procedure.

Authorities can require corrective action and, where necessary, withdrawal or recall. The appropriate response depends on the defect and risk; manufacturing a replacement product is not the only possible remedy.

The mark must follow the prescribed design and remain visible, legible and indelible. Other markings must not mislead users or impair the CE marking. The identification number of the notified body involved in production control accompanies it.

Following a successful assessment, the manufacturer issues the EU declaration of conformity and affixes the required marking. The documentation and instructions must identify the product and its intended application clearly.

• EU type-examination, Module B, combined with production-process quality assurance, Module D, or product verification, Module F.
• Unit verification, Module G.
• Full quality assurance plus design examination, Module H1.

They must protect conformity during storage and transport, withhold products they have reason to believe are non-compliant, and cooperate with corrective action and authorities. Product traceability and access to supporting documentation are also part of the supply-chain obligations.