Recreational facilities come under safety spotlight

They are subject to the same strict government supervision as industrial pipelines and other major items of infrastructure.

Li said that while big facilities are managed well, there are some problems with supervision of smaller venues.

"Many smaller facilities are poorly regulated, and it may be unclear which national standard they should comply with. As a result, they are not really subject to safety supervision," he said.

He added that while it is normal for government supervision to lag sometimes, it is essential that authorities impose temporary measures to address safety hazards in the sector.

One viable solution would be to make the current standards, laws and regulations inclusive enough to cover emerging recreational facilities.

In this way, no matter how rapid the market development, there would be a base level that would allow the relevant authorities to fulfill their supervisory duties, Li said.

He called for improved coordination of different government bodies to supervise the sector.

Currently, in addition to the emergency management authority, which oversees safety management, and the administration for market regulation, which is responsible for quality control at venues, the culture and tourism authority is involved in supervision of the sector, which is considered part of the tourism industry, he said.

Unfortunately, the three bodies don't cooperate well in supervising the sector in many areas of the country, he added.

Latest government efforts

The national authorities have attempted to close the loopholes.

For example, in late 2018, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued a special safety specification to address the high number of accidents at such venues, which are popular with children.

The specification came into effect on July 1 last year.

Zhang Yong, an expert with the national technical committee on the standardization of ropeway and recreational facilities, told industry newspaper China Quality Daily that safety is a red line that must never be crossed in the management of recreational facilities, and national standards will help to regulate the development of the sector, guide improvements and ensure safety.

"In recent years, as inflatable recreational attractions have become bigger in size, which has been a trend in the sector, the risks have also increased sharply," he said.

Reducing susceptibility to strong winds is key for such facilities.

In March 2016, for example, a strong wind carried an inflatable attraction 100 meters in Zhengzhou, Henan's capital, resulting in one child being killed and 39 injured.

While introducing strict standards to fix these attractions, the specification also included emergency response measures, set height limits for customers and specified the maximum number of people allowed to use such attractions at the same time.

The entry threshold for manufacturers of inflatable recreational facilities used to be low, but the specification promoted regulated sectoral development, Zhang said.

Meanwhile, in September, the Work Safety Committee of the State Council, China's Cabinet, published a circular that further clarified the duties of different government bodies in the management of recreational facilities and demanded concerted efforts and joint law enforcement to ensure safety.

The circular said accidents at recreational venues were the result of: "failures of relevant government bodies in fulfilling their responsibilities in safety management"; "irregular management of the manufacturing and operation of recreational facilities"; "lack of supervision at small recreational facilities"; and "weak safety awareness among customers".

All such venues should employ special safety monitors, organize safety training for employees, post safety tips and formulate emergency response measures, it said.

It also ordered different government bodies to jointly punish venues where serious accidents have occurred as a result of human failure and those that have failed to rectify faulty equipment.

The move is aimed at increasing the cost of violation, it said.