Aire Libre International

The purpose of the Canopy/Zip Line Tour inspections is to insure and guarantee the integrity and security of the participants. The Industry Standards recommend that only a Qualified Inspector can determine how many inspections per year are necessary for an Adventure Course. Every year despite efforts to manage risks, accidents occur due to the operation and failures in constructions. The primary entity that establishes standards to Inspect Adventure Courses is the "Association for Challenge Course Technology "(ACCT). For 30 years, this entity published Inspection, Construction and Operation standards, for that reason, today is the world leader in this industry. We are experts inspecting Adventure Courses. Our inspectors are certified by ACCT. We serve US, Latin America and the Caribbean. Contact us…

 

Canopy/Zip Line Inspections

Our Certified Inspectors have extensive experience and fully know the operation of the Adventure Courses. Our inspectors know how to apply the ACCT standards, how to recognize practices or components that do not comply and make the best recommendations to the owner.  We work hand in hand with our clients.  We know the importance of safety and risk management, we wrote a book about it. For that reason, our inspectors offer the expertise, experience and recommendations to help convert the Adventure Course, in a place that meets the standards set by ACCT.

The purpose of ACCT DPI (Design, Inspection and Performance) standards is to maintain consensus among service providers and practitioners. In addition, the standard aims to define acceptable minimum practices, establish criteria for designs and inspections as well as provide acceptable standards in the industry. The inspection of a Zip Line/Canopy Tour involves a thorough study of the entire components of the Zip Line Systems, High Elements, Break systems, Belay systems, Equipment and more. Each part is evaluated to determine if it meets the ACCT/ANSI standards.

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The Professional Inspection includes:

1. Location of the Elements

2. Structures that support the Elements

3. Guy Cables and Critical Guy Cables

4. Life Safety Systems

5. Life Lines Systems

6. Terminations

7. Belay Beams

8. Anchorages

9. Anchoring and Belay systems

10. Platforms

11. Zip Line systems

12. Equipment

13. Personal Security Systems

14. Belay systems

15. Fall Arrest systems

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Inspection Process

• Professional Inspection includes a visual and tactile inspection of the Elements associated with the Course, the Personal Protection Equipment and the environmental conditions surrounding each Element.

• The designer, manufacturer or certified Inspector is the person responsible for determining the evaluation methods. Therefore, in each Course to be inspected, methods are required to securely access the components. A component will not pass inspection until it is evaluated in relation to the requirements.

• The strengths of the Elements and other structures have to be evaluated using acceptable engineering practices for the appropriate resistances according to the materials in question.

• In the absence of information or data that supports the evaluated structures, the Inspector may consider tests or analyzes carried out by third parties such as Licensed Engineers to know in effect what are the strengths and conveniences of the designs.

• The Inspector is responsible for communicating to the owner about the physical conditions of the Elements and other components including the inappropriate use of the Elements and Equipment.

• The Inspector has the responsibility to notify the owner immediately when an Element or Equipment fails inspection or any other discovery that significantly impacts the safety of the system. The Inspector must inform the owner which parts of the Course that failed the inspection and that have to be taken out of service for repairs or maintenance.

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Inspection Report

The professional inspector has the responsibility to deliver a document or report to the owner in a reasonable amount of time about the findings of the inspection. In general, the report contains the following information:

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1. Date of Inspection

2. Name of the Inspector and the Company

3. History of the installation of the Course (if available)

4. Information of the last Inspection carried out if available.

5. A list of the Elements inspected

6. List of the Elements not inspected and an explanation for the omission.

7. Condition of the Elements at the time of the Inspection including whether it can be used or not.

8. Identification of Elements or components of the Course that need to be under observation.

9. A list of the Personal Protective Equipment inspected.

10. List of Personal Protective Equipment not inspected and an explanation for the omission.

11. Condition of each piece of Equipment at the time of inspection including whether it can or can not be used.

Inspection reports may contain additional information such as modification and/or repairs, recommendations to improve designs, diagrams, images, etc.