Amusement Devices

Are you renting or purchasing an inflatable device? "Inflatable devices" are air-inflated amusement devices. They come in many shapes and sizes and may contain a slide or "bouncing area."

When these devices are used at public events such as school fairs, church events, or any venue where the general public has access, they must be operated by licensed contractors with the required permits from BCSA. It is also your responsibility to ensure that all manufacturers' operating and assembly instructions are followed.

For your safety, please download and review this public safety tips for inflatable and amusement devices document. Feel free to share this document with others.

Register a design before getting your installation permit.

Before installing a fixed or traveling amusement device, you’ll need to get the design specifications of the device registered. Once registered, we will mail an installation permit.

To get the design registered, you must be a licensed amusement device contractor and you must hire the services of a professional, BC-licensed engineer to validate conformance. Inflatable amusement devices do not require the services of a professional engineer.

When you have the design specifications of your device:

1. Complete the Amusement Device Drawings and Specifications Form 1279.
2. Get a professional engineer to add their seal to the form and indicate, in the specifications section on the form, conformance with CAN/CSA Z267-00.
3. If your amusement device is a permanent installation, please get proof of ownership or permission to use the land where it’ll be installed (e.g. crown land lease, land title documents).
4. Be prepared to provide technical documentation drawings, calculations and manuals that also have the professional engineer’s seal. Contact the Safety Officer assigned to your project for more advice on how to submit these documents.
5. To submit your completed design registration, contact the Client Service Representative at 778-396-2026 or email amusementdevices@safetyauthority.ca.
6. Once registered, you will be issued an installation permit and an invoice. Please be prepared to pay the appropriate installation permit fee by credit card or by cheque, payable to BC Safety Authority.

Acceptance Inspections

When your amusement device installation is complete, you must request an acceptance inspection from your assigned Safety Officer. The Safety Officer may also request that you provide an acceptance test procedure. We will send you the details of our request ahead of time.

We’ll issue an operating permit once the amusement device has passed the acceptance inspection. The cost for the first operating permit is included in the acceptance inspection fee. Additional fees may be charged if the amusement device does not pass the acceptance inspection. To understand the fees involved for your inspection and operating permit renewal, see the Amusement Devices Fee Schedule.

Your operating permit expires after a year. You will receive a reminder to renew and must do so to remain valid. To renew your permit, have your renewal notice available and:

• Mail or fax the form to a BCSA office or,
• Visit any of the BCSA offices in person.

Please be prepared to pay the appropriate fee by credit card or by cheque payable to BC Safety Authority.

To install and operate an amusement device in BC, you must be a licensed contractor and have the correct permits. A design submission lets you install or erect an amusement device and an operating permit allows you to run it.

Exemptions

A number of amusement devices are not regulated by the BCSA and do not require installation or operating permits. Examples include: bungee devices, go karts, stationary coin operated rides, and amusement devices that are operated by muscle power.

For a complete list of devices that are exempt from the regulation, see section 18(2) of the Elevating Devices Safety Regulation.

The following devices are also exempt and not subject to regulation:

• Ziplines that do not exceed a height of 2.4 m from the ground.
• Ziplines that have trolley speeds less than 5m/sec (18 km/hr).
• Inflated devices that have a bounce surface less than .25 m from the base.
• Inflated devices that do not have inflated walls and/or roof that encloses the bounce surface.

If you’re not sure whether your amusement device is a regulated product, please contact:

Provincial Safety Manager for Passenger Ropeways and Amusement Devices,
Telephone: 778-396-2047, or
Email: amusementdevices@safetyauthority.ca.