Issue: Providers are required to have systems in place for the selection and checking of equipment1
This Guidance Note provides information about selection and checking systems and some of the main things that should be checked. The list is not exhaustive or definitive and is based on those issues which have caused confusion or uncertainty in the past.
All providers of licensable activities should have systems set up for the appropriate checking of equipment. The nature and extent of checking will clearly depend on factors such as the type of equipment, its usage and age. The usage that equipment experiences will be determined by the nature of the activity, the environment and the frequency of use. For example, heavily used mountain bikes will need more frequent checking and maintenance than equipment that is used infrequently. Account should also be taken of the guidance and information supplied with the item by the manufacturer.
Whatever system is used, it should be implemented and operated by a competent person (someone with appropriate knowledge and experience to make a sound judgement on the condition of the equipment being checked). Competence requires more than paper qualifications and providers may wish to take advice from their technical adviser on this. Specific training may be necessary for some equipment.
This formal inspection process is over and above the normal inspection of equipment that a competent leader makes each time it is used. This periodic formal checking is a way of monitoring that the intervening checks are effective.
There are no requirements to mark every item but providers should be able to demonstrate that whatever system they use is sufficiently robust to ensure that every item which needs to be checked has been checked.
Equipment checks should be recorded in sufficient detail to ensure it is clear when and by whom checks were done, the results and that any items removed from service are either repaired or disposed of. The records should be kept available for checking by the provider or others.
There are recommendations and requirements for testing and examination of equipment set out in NGB guidance and health and safety legislation such as the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. There can be confusion over whether a provider has to do additional checks on equipment to satisfy specific regulations as well as the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 2004. The AALA is satisfied that the normally accepted good practice expected by the National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs) for equipment checking will normally be enough to satisfy the requirements of the regulations and providers should not need to do any more. Where there is no NGB for an activity, then providers may wish to base their arrangements on one of the NGB’s guidelines, eg for gorge walking the recommendations of MLTUK or BCA could both be useful. Clearly providers may use other items of work equipment which will require different arrangements.
Fittings such as zips, adjustment straps and clips on any buoyancy aid can become damaged so all of these should be visually inspected.
Floatation testing of a sample of buoyancy aids should be done annually as there is evidence that buoyancy aids can deteriorate to a point where they are no longer serviceable. How many should be tested will depend on the amount of usage and their age. A representative sample would usually be sufficient.
BS EN ISO 12402-5:2006 is the appropriate standard for new buoyancy aids. Many buoyancy aids manufactured to BS EN 393 will still be in use. There is no need for providers to replace these as long as they remain fit for purpose.
To determine the most appropriate personal flotation device, providers may need to consider factors such as:
BS EN ISO 12402-10:2006 provides more information on the selection of PFDs but in general buoyancy aids will be suitable for many licensable activities. However, providers must consider the needs and abilities of users as well as the activity to be undertaken. For example, a client with special needs may require a life jacket rather than a buoyancy aid.
Additional important information on buoyancy aids can be found in IGN 7.03 - Personal Buoyancy in Recreational Watersports.
The decision about when to replace ropes should take account of their visible condition, (how easy it is to handle them) and any detectable internal damage, and not be solely based on their age.
Attention should be paid to any additional buoyancy fitted to canoes or kayaks, especially if this is in the form of airbags which may become damaged or may simply be subject to curious young people playing with the inflation valves.
Additional buoyancy of any type should be securely attached so that it cannot float free.
As well as improving float height following a capsize, airbags or similar can also significantly reduce the amount of water that enters a craft in the event of capsize, making them much lighter and so easier for instructors to rescue and significantly reducing the load to be handled. This helps providers comply with their duties under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
The AALA has had reports of insurers or safety officers asking for karabiners and similar items to be stamped with identification numbers. This is not required by any legislation and to do so could cause damage to the item. If a provider wishes to mark items then coloured paint or tape may be sufficient.
Safety helmets should be checked regularly particularly for damage to, or deterioration of the cradle, its adjustment systems and chin strap. Chin straps can become 'furry' over time making them difficult to adjust. Some of the plastic adjustment systems become worn after many adjustments and the helmet may slacken in use.
Some modern materials are not as prone to brittleness as older materials but it is still good practice to check for deterioration. A visual check and a squeeze test is generally all that is required. However, there may be reassurance (in the remaining items) in testing an older item to destruction.
Harnesses should be examined with particular attention to loose stitching, damaged fasteners and deteriorating webbing, including any furring.
Further information can be found in the following websites and documents:
1 Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 2004, regulation 9(b)(iii) and (iv)
