OSHA's worker safety jurisdiction over bungee jumping

NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only.

October 10, 1992

Mr. Paul J. Miller
Vertical Venture
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Miller:

This is in response to your February letter to our Philadelphia Regional Office regarding OSHA's policies on "bungee jumping". We apologize for the delay in responding.

While bungee jumping operations present many potential hazards, OSHA's statutory mandate focuses its concern on the worker safety aspects of this activity. Public safety concerns--involving customers and bystanders--are left to regulation by State and local authorities.

After careful review of your comments and those of many others, we have decided to develop a directive which will give guidance to our compliance personnel as to the conditions under which crane suspended personnel platforms may be safely used by employees of bungee jumping companies. We anticipate that such a directive, which is already under development, will be ready for publication within four months. We will send you a copy of the directive when it is completed.

OSHA compliance officers will continue, as resources permit, to investigate bungee jumping worksites in response to formal employee complaints. Conditions which violate applicable OSHA standards or the "General Duty Clause" of the Act may be cited and appropriate penalties proposed.

I hope that this information will be of use to you. Thank you for your interest in workplace safety and health.

Sincerely,
Roger A. Clark,
Acting Director
Directorate of Compliance Programs