Passenger Ropeways

BC Safety Authority issues directives to provide important interpretations of the regulations.

Those involved in installing, operating or maintaining passenger ropeways must comply with the interpretations provided in the directives.

Information bulletins provide helpful information and clarification on issues that affect people in the passenger ropeways sector.

BC Safety issues safety orders to prevent or reduce the risk of personal injury or damage to property. Safety orders indicate the people involved in reducing these risks, the work or product that requires action, and the steps to take. Compliance is mandatory.

For more information on your construction or acceptance inspection, see installation permits.

If you recently had an inspection of your passenger ropeway that identified non-compliances, you must confirm that you have taken action to rectify the situation by completing a Passenger Ropeways Information System Confirmation of Correction of Non-Compliances Form 1000.

Please send your form to BCSA’s New Westminster, Vernon or Courtenay office for the attention of your Safety Officer.

We’ll issue your operating permit once the passenger ropeway has passed the acceptance inspection and you have paid the invoice.

The operating permit expires after a year and you must renew to remain valid. When you get your renewal notice:

1. Mail a cheque for the renewal fee to the New Westminster BCSA office or,
2. Visit any BCSA office in person.

To understand the fees involved for your inspection and operating permit renewal, see the Passenger Ropeway Fee Schedule.

You must be a licensed passenger ropeway contractor to obtain an installation permit. When you have the specifications of your ropeway and are ready to install follow these steps:

1. Complete passenger ropeway Installation Permit Letter of Application Form. Remember to include the type of passenger ropeway, slope length and vertical rise of the installation.
2. Submit a profile of the passenger ropeway.
3. Submit a route map showing the location of the installation. A topographic map is best.
4. Provide proof of ownership or permission to use the land where the passenger ropeway will operate (e.g. crown land lease, land title documents).
5. Include a cheque for the required fee payable to the BC Safety Authority. You may also call the Passenger Ropeways Client Service Representative and pay by credit card.
6. To submit your application, contact the Passenger Ropeways Client Service Representative, 778-396-2026, passengerropeways@safetyauthority.ca.

Construction and Acceptance Inspections

Your installation permit will include details of the time needed to inspect and review the technical submission of your passenger ropeway. Please note, if the hours exceed this time, an hourly billing at a professional rate will apply.

1. Your first step is a construction inspection. You may not need a construction inspection – your Safety Officer will make that decision. If required, your assigned Safety Officer will make contact to arrange a time to visit.
2. The second step is an acceptance inspection. When you have completed the installation, you must contact your Safety Officer to arrange the acceptance inspection. It’s best to book in advance to ensure your Safety Officer is available. Please submit all technical documentation to your Safety Officer ahead of time.

Technical submission for the acceptance inspection

If you are making modifications or have a new installation, you must submit technical documentation before your acceptance inspection.
The submission must:

1. Meet the requirements of CAN/CSA Z98-07 Annex A, the approval checklist.
2. Be reviewed and have a seal by a professional engineer licensed in BC. The professional engineer must also provide certificates of design and construction.
3. All of these documents must be submitted to your assigned Safety Officer prior to the acceptance inspection.

Installation Modifications

If you want to modify an existing passenger ropeway, complete passenger ropeway Installation Permit Letter of Application Form and check the modification box. To submit your application, contact the Passenger Ropeways Client Service Representative, 778-396-2026, passengerropeways@safetyauthority.ca.

You must also submit a letter of intent that describes the components you intend to modify. Charges for this process will be determined after the acceptance inspection stage. Each installation needs a number of inspection hours, as detailed on your operating permit. We’ll take into account how many hours we’ve already used to inspect and how many more hours are needed. Additional charges will be billed at the hourly professional rate.