The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Amusement Ride Safety Inspections Unit (Unit), under the Bureau of State & Local Code Inspections, has issued a Notice of Use of Non-Permitted inflatable amusement rides and insurance liabilities for New Jersey residents, townships and School Districts.
Due to several recent complaints from registered inflatable ride owners who are losing many of their commercial contracts to owners illegally operating within the State without the required ride permits, as per NJAC 5:14A, DCA issued the notice.
The operation of inflatables inherently involves a risk to the public and it is crucial that these rides be properly set up and operated by qualified persons. DCA ensures that these rides are safe through a permitting and annual inspection process. Registered and permitted ride owners are required to renew their ride permits and to be inspected annually. During this annual inspection, owners are required to demonstrate to the Department their ability to correctly set up and operate the equipment in accordance with the ride manufacturer’s requirements and specifications. They are also required to provide training certification for all ride operators. Non-permitted, illegal operators may not be adhering to these requirements, thus making for potentially improper and dangerous equipment set up.
DCA’s notice highlighted that any inflatable being advertised, contracted, and/or operating for public use requires a current and valid annual ride permit issued by the DCA, whether it be for a public or private event. In addition, the notice emphasizes that use of unregistered and unpermitted inflatable rides in New Jersey could present issues with insurance coverage and may result in a homeowner, ride owner, and/or municipality exposed to liability, as the equipment would be deemed to have been operated illegally.
In addition to a current and valid annual ride permit, an annual inspection is also required, resulting in the DCA safety inspector affixing a “passed inspection” green sticker to the ride at the time of inspection. DCA is requesting that all municipal and school district personnel to be aware of, and to look for the required “Passed Inspection Permit to Operate” green sticker on any inflatable ride(s) you may encounter operating at public events in your municipality. If not found, DCA advises to contact l the ride hotline at 609-292-2099, or rides@dca.nj.gov.
We encourage you to review this information with your municipal professionals to ensure compliance.
Contact: Erin Knoedler, Legislative Analyst. eknoedler@njlm.org, x116.