Rules & Regulations

Adventure Activities

Adventure activities

Under the The Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 2004 any business providing, for payment, any of the adventure activities listed below to under 18 year-olds, without their parents or guardians present, is required to hold a valid licence from the Adventure Activities Licensing Service (AALS). The activities covered are:

• Caving: exploring underground passages, caves, disused mines, potholing, cave diving and other underground exploration that requires the use of climbing or diving equipment to be safe.
• Climbing: climbing, traversing, abseiling or scrambling over natural terrain or outdoor man-made structures (except structures, like man-made rock walls, specifically designed for such activities) which require, in order to be carried out safely, special equipment or skills for rock or ice climbing.
• Trekking: walking, running, pony or horse trekking, biking, skiing (except on a prepared and patrolled ski-piste), and related activities when done on moorland or on land more than 600m above sea-level or on land which is more than 30 minutes travelling time to the nearest road or refuge (where help can be summoned).
• Water sports: canoeing and kayaking (but not rowing or any boating powered by oars), rafting (unless powered or pulled by motor), sailing, windsurfing or any other kind of wind powered watersport and related activities when done on the sea, tidal waters or inland waters which are, at any point, more than 50m from the bank/shore or inland waters where the water is turbulent due to weirs, rapids, waterfalls or fast flowing currents.

How to obtain a licence

To obtain a licence contact the Adventure Activities Licensing Service (AALS) and discuss your intended business activities. You will need to fill out an application form and pay a fee. You will be inspected for your compliance with the adventure activities regulations. Your main obligations under these are:

• Risk assessment: you will need to undertake a thorough and competent risk assessment of all the activities you intend to offer at all the locations where they may take place. If you do not have the skills to do this yourself, you must employ a competent person to do it for you. Your risk assessment must take into account all the potential dangers to young people (or others), particularly showing awareness of young people's limitations and abilities. You will need to re-evaluate regularly and after any changes or new activities are introduced
• Control measures: in your risk assessment you must identify which measures you will need to take to eliminate or minimise the risks and how you will implement, manage and monitor these
• Staff: you must be able to demonstrate that you employ sufficient qualified and experienced staff to make the activities safe.
• Safety information: you must show that you actively provide your staff and all participants with safety information about the locations, activities and equipment and any other relevant information to make the activities safe
• Equipment: you must provide and actively maintain the correct and appropriate equipment to make your activities safe
• First aid: you must have provisions in place for delivering qualified first aid and for summoning emergency services if needed

The Health and Safety Executive enforce these regulations. If you provide any of these activities, it is strongly recommended that you get in touch with the HSE and with the AALS for guidance and advice.

Further information and guidance

www.hse.gov.uk
This is the Health and Safety Executive site.

www.aals.org.uk
This is the website for the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority. They provide comprehensive information and hold the register for licensed providers. Contact tel: 029 2075 5715.