Management of Extraordinary Events

These really are extraordinary times.
Events like the COVID-19 pandemic happen so seldom that we are very rarely prepared for them. The Adventure Activities Regulations certainly don't take this sort of event into account. When we read the Regulations or any audit standards, it seems that we need to continue audit activities (recertification, surveillance, etc) as per schedule. There's scope to use ICT- Information & Communication Technology- to avoid having to visit operators onsite. What isn't really considered is the fact that operators can't even conduct activities - so we can't audit them.

Taking this information into account, AdventureMark is working together with WorkSafe and JAS-ANZ to find a solution maintain certification until such time as operators can begin activities again.
Our thinking follows four points:
•           Activities aren’t taking place.
•           People cannot access their offices/places of work.
•          Businesses aren’t receiving any income, making paying compliance costs difficult.
•           Businesses and staff are under a lot of stress, adding audits for activities they cannot provide could exacerbate this.

We hope to hear back from WorkSafe soon to hear if we can maintain certification without the need for suspension or other measures.
We also understand that there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment. This is an uncertain time and we're working hard to keep communication lines open to reach a resolution soon. We will update our operators when there is news.
​Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions at all.