Commercial Zip Line Rides – How Do We Know a Commercial Zip Line is Safe?
Who sets the standard on commercial zip line rides?
The Commercial zip line industry has received quite some interest over the last year as several zip line accidents have drawn the attention of the media. How do we know that commercial zip line rides are safe? Do zip line rides need to meet any specific criteria before they can be given a stamp of approval and considered safe as a public attraction?
The Need for A Zip Line Standard
Who inspects these things anyway and what criteria do they use to measure safety and determine if a zip line ride “passes”?
Believe it or not, as we write this, great minds in the commercial zip line industry are putting their heads together and discussing this very subject.
Mike Teske, director of technical services for Skyline Eco-Adventures, is leading a task force who’s purpose is to establish …
“criteria for the design, manufacture, installation, testing performance, operation, maintenance, inspection and auditing of zip lines, ropes courses and challenge courses that are specifically intended for concession, commercial recreation or amusement purposes“ (ASTM WK34049)
It’s Official – ASTM Is Establishing A Standard For The Commercial Zip Line
According to press release dated 12 Jan 2012, ASTM international and the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) are collaborating to develop a new standard, ASTM WK34049, Practice for Special Requirements for Aerial Adventure Courses.
The need for this new standard is being brought on because of the recent growing trend for zip line rides and other aerial adventure courses.
It’s good to know that the standard’s industry is putting their focus on the safety of commercial zip line rides. For our readers, it’s even better to realize that Soaring Eagle Zip Lines already meets and exceeds much of the safety criteria being discussed and spelled out in these sessions.
Soaring Eagle Zip Lines and Safety
Safety issues related to many conventional zip line rides can make them high liability risks. The greatest contributing factors of zip line safety risks have been in the human element. Safety risk grows with each additional reason for human involvement in the process. Consider the quantity of possible human interactions in the standard zip line ride process that has a crew on both top and bottom of the ride, harnessing and fitting guests, instructing riders, loading and unloading riders, and examining and managing equipment. Ride safety is degraded when the likelihood from operator oversight is increased since even the best operator is prone to stress and fatigue from repetitive and labor intense harnassing and fitting of every rider. The gear that riders of conventional zip line rides could be asked to carry go out of the charge of the ride operators and exposes the resort or facility to all or any of the associating liabilities along with the risk of undetected harm to occur during transport.
Commercial Zip Line Ride Comes to a Safe Stop
The Advantage with Soaring Eagle Zip Lines is that the majority of possible human error has been avoided. This is because Soaring Eagle Zip Line rides require only one easily trained operator. Before the ride is able to operate, restraints are secured and electronically monitored by two proximity sensors. A safe and comfortable touchdown on every cycle is ensured with Soaring Eagle’s Patent Pending spring braking mechanism. In the industry, you’ll not see a safer zip line ride.
As fantastic attention grabbing attractions, commercial zip line rides continue to grow in popularity. Soaring Eagle Zip Lines call for only a single staff member to control the ride and can securely ride guests without needing a harness. Discover how you can profit from a Soaring Eagle Zip Line Ride – Call today – (435)-571-0355. Or go to www.SoaringEagleZipLines.com.
