This Section specifies the site, site approval, design, testing of equipment, management of the operation, operating procedures, emergency provisions and procedures for Bungee Jumping from any mechanically operated platforms that carry jumpers to the top of the structure.
"Air Bag" - means an inflated device that cradles the body, with an air release breather system that dissipates the energy due to fall and allows the person to land without an abrupt stop or bounce.
"Ankle-binding" - means a harness used to wrap and hold together the jumper's ankles and attach the jumper to the bungee cord.
"Binding of Cord" - means a material used to hold the cord threads in place. May also protect the cord threads from damage.
"Bungee Cord" - means the elastic rope to which the jumper is attached. It lengthens and shortens and thus produces the bouncing action.
"Bungee Jumping" - means that activity in which a person free falls from a height and the person's descent is limited by the person's attachment to the bungee cord.
"Carabiners" - means shaped metal or alloy device used to connect sections of the jump rigging, equipment or safety gear.
"Catapulting" - means that the jumper is held on the ground while the bungee cord is stretched. On release, the jumper is propelled upwards.
"Cord" - See Bungee Cord.
"Double Jumping" - See Tandem Jumping.
"Dynamic Loading" - means the load placed on the rigging and attachments by the initial free fall of the jumper and the bouncing movements of the jumper.
"Equipment" - means the equipment, power or manually operated, used to raise, lower and hold loads.
"Incident" - means an event that could or does result in harm to a person or damage or loss of process (jumping interrupted or stopped).
"Jump Direction" - means the direction (forward or backward) in which a jumper is designed to jump from the jump point.
"Jump Height" - means the distance from the jump platform to the bottom of the jump zone.
"Jump Master" - means a person who has responsibility for the bungee jumping operation and who takes a jumper through the final stages to the actual jump.
"Jump Operator" - means a person who assists the jump master to prepare a jumper for jumping and operates the lowering system to lower the jumper to the landing pad.
"Jump Point" - means the position from which the jumper begins to fall or jump.
"Jump Space" - means the jump zone plus a safety factor in all directions.
"Jump Zone" - means the space bounded by the maximum designed movements of the jumper or any part of the jumper.
"Jumper" - means the person who falls or jumps from a height attached to a bungee cord.
"Jumper Safety Harness" - means an assembly to be worn by a jumper and to be attached to a bungee cord. It is designed to prevent the patron from becoming detached from the bungee cord.
"Jumper Weight" - means the weight of the jumper only.
"Landing Area" - means the surface area of the air bag or water directly under the jump space.
"Landing Pad" - means a padded area on which the jumper lands by means of the lowering appliance or equipment.
"Lateral Direction" - means movement of the jumper measured at 90 degrees to the designed jump direction.
"Launching" - See Catapulting.
"Licensed Professional Engineer" - means an individual who holds a valid license as a licensed professional engineer from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation or comparable authority in another state.
"Loaded Length" - means the length of the bungee cord when extended to its fullest designed length.
"Moused" - means a binding around the point and shank of a hook to prevent it from slipping off.
"Operating System" - means the system of processing a jumper through the jump methods used on a particular site. This includes registration, preparation, getting to the jump point, methods of attachment, the rigging and lowering system, and the landing recovery method.
"Operating Manual" - means a document containing the procedures and forms for the operation of the bungee jumping activity and equipment on the site.
"Platform" - means the area attached to a lifting appliance from which the jumper falls or jumps.
"Preparation Area" - means the area where the jumper is prepared for jumping. It is a separate area on the ground.
"Recovery Area" - means an area beside the landing area where the jumper may recover from the jump before returning to the public area.
"Reverse Jumping" - See Catapulting.
"Rigging System" - means a combination of components that connects the jumper to the lifting point or hook of the appliance. The rigging system includes ropes, pulleys, carabiners, shackles and lowering equipment.
"Safe Working Load" or "SWL" - means the maximum rated load which can be safely handled under specified conditions, by a machine, equipment or component of the rigging.
"Safety Factor" - means the ratio obtained by dividing the breaking load of any piece of equipment by its working load.
"Safety Harness" - means an assembly to be worn by an operator. It is designed to be attached to a safety line and to prevent the operator from falling.
"Safety Line" - means a line used to connect safety harness or belt to an anchorage point or rail.
"Safety Space" - means the space extending beyond the jump zone as a safety factor (i.e., a space beyond the maximum designed movements of the jumper).
"Sandbagging" - is the practice of a jumper holding onto any object (including another person) while jumping off of a platform and during the initial descent, for the purpose of exerting more force on the bungee cord in order to stretch it further and then releasing the object at the bottom of the jump, causing the jumper to rebound with more force than could be created by the jumper's weight alone.
"Stunt Jumping" - is the combining of any other activity with bungee jumping; or, bungee jumping with a disregard for clearances with the ground or other structures.
"Tandem Jumping" - means the practice of two people harnessed together while jumping simultaneously from the same jump platform.
"Thread" - means a single strand of material used in a bungee cord. A bungee cord is constructed of a varying number of threads.
"Unloaded Length" - means the length of the bungee cord laid on a horizontal flat surface without load or stress applied.
All ropes for holding or lowering the jumper shall have a breaking load of at least 4,400 pounds.
Adequate storage shall be provided both on-site and off-site to protect equipment from physical, chemical and ultra-violet ray damage. The storage shall be provided for current, replacement and emergency equipment organized for easy and orderly access. The storage shall be secure against unauthorized entry.
There shall be a telephone communication link to the emergency service within 200 feet of the operation.
When more than one jump master is on the site, one of the jump masters shall also be designated controller. The site controller shall coordinate and be responsible and accountable for all operations;
The staff shall take regular breaks to ensure that fatigue does not downgrade their ability to operate an incident-free operation.
Ill. Admin. Code tit. 56, § 6000.340
Amended at 34 Ill. Reg. 763, effective December 29, 2009