NZPIA Objectives

The objectives of the NZPIA are to:

  • Promote safe skydiving through education, training, certification, and other qualification programs for individuals and operators.
  • Provide advice and support to individuals and operators that affiliate with the organisation.

In New Zealand parachuting is separated by regulation into two distinct streams.

  • Private or sporting activity.
  • Hire and reward or commercial activity.

The NZPIA allows affiliation by operations in either field with qualifications that match the FAI standards and links to the FAI through the New Zealand Parachute Federation.

NZPIA Founding principles

A positive safety culture:

The first principle upon which all others are founded, it is characterised by an overt commitment to safety at every level of an organisation; it relies on leaders promoting and adhering to good safety practices e.g. leading by example, consistently. Organisations with a positive safety culture are characterised by communications founded on mutual trust, by shared perceptions of the importance of safety and by confidence in the efficacy of preventive measures. Operators have a safety management system (SMS) relevant to their operation.

Safety management system:

A coordinated and comprehensive set of processes specifically designed to optimise safety performance. An SMS addresses safety across all aspects of the organisation and includes provisions for recruitment, training, safe communication, well documented standard operating procedures, internal and external assessment programmes, safety reporting, incident reporting, and emergency action plans. An SMS addresses the potential for both systemic weaknesses and active failures.

Initial external assessment:

An assessment by an independent third party appropriately qualified to assess and approve the type of activity being undertaken. Its primary function is to assess the SMS and provide operators with advice and support: is the SMS comprehensive, workable and tailored correctly for that activity? It includes a site visit.

On-going external assessments:

Primarily for verifying compliance with approved standards, procedures and/or national standards where available; as with the 'initial' audit, they assess the relevancy and effectiveness of the SMS and provide advice and support to operators. They also include a site visit.

Staff competency:

Organisations ensure staff have appropriate experience supported by relevant training and/or qualifications. Induction training is followed by on-going training at a frequency and depth that is consistent with the nature of the activity. The correct balance of experienced to less-experienced staff is consciously managed. Operators clearly communicate the risks involved and responsibilities the clients themselves have in mitigating them.

Risk and safety information to clients:

Prior to undertaking the activity, clients are provided with appropriate risk and safety information in a form and depth that is tailored for the activity, but addresses cross-cultural communication barriers. Client information can be delivered in writing, verbally, pictorially or via a combination of mediums.

Well maintained, fit for purpose equipment:

Equipment and/or infrastructure is subject to regular review under the SMS framework. It is maintained or replaced at intervals that ensure it remains fit for purpose and suitable for commercial delivery of the activity.

Exchange of safety information:

Organisations make a conscious and formalised effort to share safety information (including lessons learned) with others while externally seeking information that may strengthen their own safety provisions. Commercial interests are pushed aside in the interests of achieving better safety outcomes through shared learning.