Christmas Safety Reminder For Adventure Tourism Operators

With the Christmas break just days away the Department of Labour is reminding adventure tourism and outdoor education operators to familiarise themselves with new regulations aimed at improving safety in the industry.

The Adventure Activity Regulations came into force on 1 November this year – and affected operators will have up to three years to ensure they comply.

“In the meantime we’re asking all those operators who believe they are covered by the regulations to notify the Department about their operation,” says the Department’s General Manager Business, Process and Innovation Tracy Mellor.

The regulations require commercial adventure tourism and outdoor education operators in New Zealand who provide activities that are designed to deliberately expose participants to a managed risk of serious harm, to undergo a safety audit and be registered.

“Since the regulations came into effect on 1 November we’ve received 115 notifications from operators across the country,” Ms Mellor says.

“Early next year the Department will be issuing guidance for operators to help them understand the regulations and also understand if they’re covered.

“By February we will also be announcing audit standards and the criteria for recognising audit providers – who will be overseeing the audits of each operator.

From May 2012 all operators should have notified the Department of their operation, and work will begin on developing the audit and registration system.

“More information on the regulations, including information about notifying the Department and a Q&A for operators is available on our website,” Ms Mellor says.

“However with many operators about to enter their busy season, we wish them all a successful and safe summer.”