No bungee jump shall be operated unless the owner provides and requires each jumper to use a jumper harness that meets the following requirements:

(1) A jumper harness must be full-body, designed either as a full-body harness or a sit harness with shoulder straps and must be certified by a professional mechanical engineer as being in accordance with the requirements of one of the following:

(a) Chapters A, B, C, and E, General Regulations for the UIAA Label, Ropes for Mountaineering, Carabineers, and Harnesses, respectively, from The Union Internationale Des Associations D'Alpinisme (adopted and incorporated by reference), 1380 Fairfield Woods Road, Fairfield, Connecticut 06430; or

(b) the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1983 Fire Service Life Safety Rope, Harness, and Hardware, 1990 Edition (adopted and incorporated by reference), copies of which may be obtained from NFPA, Post Office Box 9101, Quincy, Massachusetts 02269-9101; or

(c) the American National Standards for Construction and Demolition Operations-Requirements for Safety Belts, Harnesses, Lanyards and Lifelines for Construction and Demolition Use approved on July 31, 1991, by the American National Standards Institute, Inc., and published by the National Safety Council, (adopted and incorporated by reference), copies of which may be obtained from National Safety Council, 1121 Spring Lake Drive, Itasca, Illinois 60143-3201.

(2) A jumper harness must be available to fit jumpers ranging from forty pounds to two hundred and fifty pounds and must be properly adjusted and fitted on each jumper.

(3) The jumper harness must be certified by a professional mechanical engineer as appropriate for use in bungee jumping and must have a safety factor of not less than 5.

(4) A professional mechanical engineer must certify that the method of attachment and location of attachment for the jumper harness is the safest available.

(5) The use of an ankle strapping or ankle harness in bungee jumping operations is prohibited in this State.

HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 408, Section 16, eff 60 days after May 24, 1994.