New drug and alcohol regulations for adventure tourism

‘Adventure tourism operators will face stronger regulations to help prevent tragedies from drug and alcohol-related accidents’, according to Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson.

The proposed changes to the Health and Safety (Adventure Activities) Regulations 2011 and aviation and maritime rules will create an explicit requirement for operators to monitor and manage safety risks associated with drug or alcohol impairment from mid-December 2012.

Each operator will have to specifically address the possibility of drug and alcohol use in their health and safety management.  Operators will then have their drug and alcohol management checked as part of regular independent safety audits.

These regulations will be alongside other new requirements for the adventure tourism industry.

Under the proposed changes, operators will also be required to notify MBIE of who they are, where they are, what their activities are and whether they have a current safety audit. All operators will also have to pass a safety audit by 1 November 2014 at the latest.

If you would like further advice or assistance with integrating these policies into your business operations, Chapman Employment Relations offer a free 30 minute initial consultation.

Contact: Kay Chapman or Christine Summerville, 03 545 0877, contact@chapmaner.co.nz , or visit our website www.chapmaner.co.nz