Call for bungee-jump safety rules backed

Press, 26 July 1989, Page 8

Call for bungee-jump safety rules backed

PA Wellington The Labour Department says it supports the development of specific safety standards for bungee-jumping operators. However, the department’s occupational safety and health service has warned that the lack of legislation could make satisfactory standards difficult to achieve. Calls for safety standards were made after human error caused a bungeejumping accident near Queenstown on Saturday which left an experienced jumper with multiple fractures. Mr John Chitty, aged 31, was flown to Southland Hospital with a broken pelvis,

broken ankle, and broken arm, after falling 6m when he parted company with his bungee-strap. The owner-operator of New Action New Zealand, Mr A. J. Hackett, said on Sunday Mr Chitty’s seat harness was not attached properly to the bungee strap. The situation was similar to the advent of waterslides at public swimming pools, Mr Williams said. At first there were no standards covering their use, but eventually local bodies adopted voluntary standards as part of their by-laws. It was likely bungee-jumping standards would eventually be administered the same way, he said.