Guidance for Operators on Adventure Activities Regulations

MEDIA ReleaSE
3 April 2012
Guidance for Operators affected by the Adventure Activities Regulations

A new guidance document has been released today providing detailed information on the Adventure Activities Regulations which came in to force last year.

Tracy Mellor, the Department of Labour’s General Manager Business Process and Innovation, says the Guidance for Operators document has been prepared to ensure all operators fully understand what is required of them.

The Adventure Activities Regulations were released in November 2011 and represent the first time most types of adventure activity operators have been subject to industry specific regulations.

The Department wants to ensure that all operators fully understand the regulations, and in particular, understand how the Department defines what constitutes deliberately exposing participants to a risk of serious harm and what constitutes being guided or taught how to participate.

The Document is designed to be read in conjunction with the Regulations, but if operators are still unsure of how the regulations affect them, they should contact the Department in the first instance.

Sitting under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, the regulations require commercial adventure activity operators in New Zealand who provide activities that are designed to deliberately expose participants to a risk of serious harm that must be managed by the provider of the activity to undergo a safety audit and become registered.

They don’t apply to organisations that don’t charge fees, such as schools or sports or recreation clubs.
Operators who are covered by the Regulations have until 30 April 2012 to notify the Department of their details.

A copy of the Health and Safety in Employment (Adventure Activities) Regulations 2011 Guidance for Operators is available at: http://www.osh.govt.nz/law/adventure-activities/index.asp

Operators can notify the Department of their details at: http://www.osh.govt.nz/tools/aao-notificationform/aaonotify.aspx

ENDS

© Scoop Media