Third-Party Inspections
Third-party inspections—annual and otherwise—are becoming increasingly common. They are extremely valuable for a host of reasons, among them:
• compliance with standards and
regulators
• identifying and addressing safety concerns
• transferred or shared risk
• fodder for marketing
• gaining a valuable outside perspective.
In addition to an annual structural inspection of the course and equipment, ACCT standards require a program review of organizational practices (risk management, operations, documentation, etc.) by a qualified third party on a minimum five-year cycle. These standards will be especially important for those operators who hope to gain the soon-to-be-released ACCT program accreditation. (See related story, p. 34).
Standard compliance aside, many states now require that each course obtains both an initial (or commissioning) inspection and annual third-party inspections. It’s important to check with the regulating body in your jurisdiction, as these requirements and interpretations of codes vary widely from state to state and province to province. While some jurisdictions simply require that the inspector is an accredited or certified vendor, others place additional restrictions on the relationship between the course and the inspector (in Tennessee, for example, the inspecting entity cannot be the builder of the course).
Good third-party inspectors can also provide outside perspective on potential improvements to the function of the course, or help you better mitigate risk. They’ve seen more than just one way of doing things. Who hasn’t found themselves immersed in the culture of a place, only to be impressed and surprised by what the neighbors are doing? An unbiased, qualified professional inspection of your physical course, equipment, or operations broadens your perspective.
Distribution of risk is another convincing factor for third-party inspections. Many insurance companies will not issue a policy without an annual professional inspection—sometimes also requiring that the vendor providing this service is specifically accredited to do so.
Advertising that your course is inspected annually by a third-party professional is an excellent step to calm the nerves of mothers and fathers out there looking for something fun to do on the family vacation. I’ve received the occasional phone call from some of these parents who are checking up on our clients’ claims that the course is well built and maintained by an accredited company. But if you advertise you do it, make sure you do it, or you will be opening yourself up to a whole other class of problems—and not just from disgruntled parents.
Inspection rates will vary widely, but for most reputable vendors you will see third-party rates in the $800 to $4,000 range, depending on the scope of the inspection and the size of the course. Typically, inspector travel expenses are priced separately.
Price is also affected by who built your course. If you built it in-house to save costs, but ask a professional company to inspect (and therefore share some liability for your work), they will likely charge you a premium in order to cover their exposure. If the builder of your course does your annual inspections, they will likely charge a lower rate, because they already have liability exposure and have the full design and installation records.
When taking into consideration all of these benefits, investing in a third-party inspection (and training, for many of the same reasons) is some of the best money you can spend on your course.
Inspections at all levels, from pre-use to periodic to annual, are a critical part of successfully running a zip line or adventure park business. Take them seriously, and follow up quickly when they reveal a problem. Your operation will run more smoothly, and you’ll sleep better at night.
