INPA/TIPE Issues Inspector Warning

INPA/TIPE has recently been made aware of a mailing by Peter McCormack advertising repairs to bouncy castles and operators need to be aware that this is Peter Morrell (changed his name by deed poll) who currently has a Prohibition Notice served on him by the Health & Safety Executive preventing him from carrying out annual test on inflatable play equipment.

Peter Grand, owner of INPA commented, “as part of the PUWER regulations inflatable play equipment requires an annual test by a competent person. The Health and Safety Executive have stated that those operators who use a registered ADIPS or RPII inspector will have been deemed to have used a competent examiner and in all other cases it will be down to the operator to prove that their tests were carried out by a competent examiner.
He continued “in the case of Mr McCormack competence cannot be proved whilst the Prohibition Notice remains in force. It follows that any operator who has had inflatable play equipment tested by Mr McCormack are in fact not covered by the certificate issued. This may also result in insurance cover being void. "

It is imperative that operators understand that when using inspectors who are not registered with either the RPII or ADIPS have to be sure that their chosen inspector is competent to carry out an annual test. It will be their sole responsibility to carry out checks and establish competence. It is likely that competence could not be proved by assuming that because an individual has been involved in the inflatable play industry for a number of years he/she is competent to carry out an annual test.