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The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers has warned that children will be exposed to greater risk of harm if safety measures for adventure activities are watered down.
Apil spoke out after submitting a response to the Health and Safety Executive’s consultation on plans to replace the regulation of adventure activities with a voluntary code of practice.
“When we look back on the tragedy of Lyme Bay in 1993, it is difficult to see how abolishing the regulations for adventure activities can be considered the right thing to do,” said Apil president David Bott (pictured).
“If not controlled properly, adventure activities can be dangerous, and, in the worst case scenario, result in the loss of life.
“Instead of diluting the measures which help protect children and vulnerable adults, the HSE should develop the licensing regime to cover a wider range of activities to help prevent other avoidable injury.”
The proposed abolition of the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority was recommended by Lord Young of Graffham, in his report Common Sense, Common Safety. He referred to the licensing regime as an unnecessary “cost and burden on business”.
But Bott said: “Proper regulation of adventure activities is important and necessary to prevent children from harm.
“Far from being an unnecessary burden, a licence shows that a provider has been inspected and is operating to acceptable safety standards.
“A ‘light touch’ code of practice will only provide people with a limited assurance that proper safety measures have been taken
“Parents and carers need to feel confident in the knowledge that an activity provider is credible and will not put their children at an unnecessary risk of harm.”
Medico Legal News Source: PostOnline
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