Consumer Agency: "Outdoor Descending Leisure Facilities like Zipline Lack Safety Installations and Management"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] The Korea Consumer Agency announced on the 17th that some companies operating descending sports facilities, commonly known as 'zipline' or 'ziptrack,' have inadequate safety installations and safety management.

As a result of investigating the facilities, equipment operation, and safety management status of 20 descending sports facilities nationwide, 6 companies did not install safety gates on the departure decks to prevent safety accidents such as falls, and 4 did not install shock-absorbing devices to prevent safety accidents caused by passengers colliding with the facilities when approaching the arrival decks. Additionally, one facility did not have walkie-talkies for communication among safety personnel.

Among the 12 facilities where investigators experienced riding, one did not provide safety education for passengers, five did not secure safety lines, which are fall prevention devices to prevent abnormal departures by passengers, and five did not secure safety lines for safety personnel, indicating the need for improvement.

When checking the operation status of safety equipment, 17 facilities provided helmets to protect passengers' heads in case of falls or collisions, but 3 facilities did not provide them.

Six facilities used harnesses, which function as safety belts, and eight facilities used trolleys, which connect to wire ropes to move passengers, but these products could not be verified for certification.

The Consumer Agency also pointed out that it is problematic that companies have no obligation to implement improvements regarding the identified deficiencies in safety inspections. The Consumer Agency stated, "Based on the results of this investigation, we plan to request the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to establish safety standards related to the operation of descending sports facilities, strengthen safety management and supervision, and ask local governments to enhance safety inspections of facilities within their regions."