The following definitions are applicable for the purposes of this chapter:

(1) "Air bag" means a device which cradles the body and which uses an air release breather system to dissipate the energy due to a fall, thereby allowing the person to land without an abrupt stop or bounce.

(2) "Binding of cord" means material used to hold the cord threads in place and which can also protect the cord threads from damage.

(3) "Breaking load" means the stress or tension steadily applied and just sufficient to break or rupture.

(4) "Bumper" means a padded sleeve or covering on the bungee cord and connecting straps or devices to prevent the jumper from contacting or becoming entangled in the bungee cord or connecting straps or devices.

(5) "Bungee catapulting" or "reverse bungee jumping" means the sport, activity, or practice whereby a person or safety car is either attached to a single bungee cord or to more than one bungee cord, or to a wire rope or cable or spring that is in any manner attached to a bungee cord whereby the bungee cord is stretched and then released, thus catapulting or otherwise launching the jumper or passenger into the air from a fixed position. Bungee catapulting is prohibited in this State.

(6) "Bungee cord" means the elastic cord made of rubber, latex, or other elastic-type materials, whether natural or synthetic, to which the jumper is attached. Such cord lengthens and shortens and thus produces a bouncing action.

(7) "Bungee jumping" means the sport, activity, or other practice of jumping, diving, stepping out, dropping, or otherwise being released into the air while attached or fastened to a bungee cord or wire rope or cable or springs or other devices similar in design or use, whereby the cord, wire rope, cable, spring, or other devices similar in design or use stops the fall, lengthens and shortens, allows the person to bounce or jump up and down, and is intended to finally bring the person to a stop at a point above the landing surface.

(8) "Carabineer" means a shaped metal or alloy device used to connect sections of the jump, equipment, or safety gear.

(9) "Cord" means the same as "bungee cord".

(10) "Dynamic loading" means the load placed on the attachments by the initial free fall of the jumper and the bouncing movements of the jumper.

(11) "Equipment" means each component which is utilized in a bungee jump operation, including power or manually operated devices to raise, lower, and hold loads.

(12) "Fence" means a permanent or temporary structure designed and constructed to restrict people, animals, and objects from entering the designated bungee jumping area.

(13) "Incident" means an event that could or does result in:

(a) injury to a person,

(b) damage to equipment, or

(c) the interruption or stopping of bungee jumping operations.

(14) "Jump area" means the maximum area in all directions designed for the movement of the jumper.

(15) "Jump crew" means all personnel who assist the jump master in preparing a jumper for jumping.

(16) "Jump direction" means the direction in which a jumper is aimed when jumping from the jump point.

(17) "Jump height" means the distance from where the jumper begins to fall to the bottom of the jump zone.

(18) "Jump master" means a person who has responsibility for the bungee jumping operation, and including a person who takes a jumper through the final stages to the actual jump and who operates the lowering system whereby the jumper is lowered to the landing pad.

(19) "Jump operator" means a person who assists the jump master in preparing a jumper for jumping.

(20) "Jump point" means the position from which the jumper falls or begins to fall.

(21) "Jump space" means the jump zone plus the safety space.

(22) "Jump zone" means the space bounded by the maximum designed movements of the jumper or any part of the jumper.

(23) "Jumper" means the person who falls from a height attached to a bungee cord.

(24) "Jumper harness" means an assembly to be worn by a jumper and to be attached to a bungee cord. Such harness is designed to prevent the jumper from becoming detached from the bungee cord.

(25) "Jumper weight" means the weight of the jumper only.

(26) "Landing area" means the surface area directly under the jump space.

(27) "Landing pad" means the padded area on which the jumper is off-loaded after jumping by means of the lowering appliance or equipment.

(28) "Lateral direction" means the movement of the jumper measured at 90 degrees to the designed jump direction.

(29) "Loaded length" means the length of the bungee cord when extended to its fullest designed length when jumping.

(30) "Lowering system" means the lowering system is a combination of components that connects the jumper through the bungee cord to an attachment point on the structure. The system includes, but is not limited to, ropes, cables, pulleys, carabineers, shackles, and lowering equipment.

(31) "Operating system" means the system of processing a jumper through the jump methods used on a particular site, including registration, preparation, getting to the jump point, methods of attachment, jumping, lowering system, and the landing recovery method.

(32) "Operations manual" means the document that contains the procedures and forms for the operation of the bungee jumping activity and equipment on the stated site.

(33) "Owner" means the person who owns or operates or both owns and operates, a bungee jumping operation, or the lessee if a bungee jumping operation or any of its component parts are leased.

(34) "Permanent platform" means the apparatus attached to a fixed structure from which the jumper falls or jumps.

(35) "Preparation area" means the area where the jumper is prepared for jumping. It is a separate area on the ground, the support structure, or part of the platform.

(36) "Professional mechanical engineer" means a person who holds a valid license as a professional engineer.

(37) "Recovery area" means an area adjacent to the landing area where the jumper may recover from the jump before returning to the public area.

(38) "Safe working load" (SWL) means the maximum rated load which can be safely handled under specified conditions by a machine, equipment, or component of the rigging.

(39) "Safety factor" means the ratio obtained by dividing the breaking load of any piece of equipment by its safe working load.

(40) "Safety harness" means an assembly to be worn by a staff member or jumper. It is designed to be attached to a safety line and to prevent the wearer from becoming detached from the safety line.

(41) "Safety line" means a line used to connect the safety harness or belt to an anchorage point or rail in situations where there is a risk of free fall.

(42) "Safety space" means the space extending beyond the jump zone as a safety factor, that is, the space beyond the maximum designed movements of the jumper.

(43) "Structure" means a permanent tower or similar erection that is used, or proposed to be used, for bungee jumping.

(44) "Testing authority" means an organization acceptable to the department for the purpose of testing the performance of bungee cords, equipment, and structure.

(45) "Thread" means a single strand of material used in a bungee cord which is constructed of a varying number of threads.

(46) "Unloaded length" means the length of the bungee cord lying on a horizontal flat surface without load or stress applied.

(47) "Department" means the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation of the State of South Carolina.

(48) "Director" means the director of the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation or the director's designee.

(49) "Bungee jumping facility" means an establishment where bungee jumping is performed.

(50) "Webbing" means a flat, tubular, mountaineering material sewn into double or triple loops used as an attachment on bungee cords.

(51) "Tape knot" means a knot designed for attachment.

(52) "Serious injury" means an injury that requires medical treatment, other than first aid, by a physician. "First aid" means the one-time treatment or subsequent observation of scratches, cuts not requiring stitches, minor burns, splinters, and contusions or a diagnostic procedure, including examinations and x-rays, which do not ordinarily require medical treatment even though provided by a physician or other licensed professional personnel.

HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 408, Section 5, eff 60 days after May 24, 1994; 2001 Act No. 36, Sections 2, eff May 29, 2001; 2005 Act No. 60, Section 4, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature on May 18, 2005).

Effect of Amendment

The 2001 amendment inserted references to "wire rope or cable or springs or other devices similar in design or use" in paragraphs (5) and (7), and in paragraph (7) inserted "or fastened" and inserted "or jump" preceding "up and down".

The 2005 amendment rewrote item (5) defining bungee catapulting or reverse bungee jumping.