Section 2: Basic Safety Requirements and Waivers

2-2 Waivers to the Basic Safety Requirements

A. Why BSRs may need to be waived

1. The Basic Safety Requirements represent commonly accepted standards necessary to promote safety in average conditions.
2. Since these standards may be an unnecessary burden in some individual circumstances, USPA provides procedures to document exceptions, known as waivers to the BSRs.
3. These waivers also provide for the responsible research and development of improved techniques and methods.

B. Classification of Waivers

1. Waivers to the Basic Safety Requirements are filed at three levels:
   1. the USPA S&TA or USPA Examiner
   2. the Executive Committee of USPA
   3. full Board of Directors of USPA
2. Neither USPA Headquarters nor any other person or group of persons except those here stated has the authorization to file a waiver to any BSR.
3. Each BSR is waiverable only by the full board, except for those BSRs designated as being waiverable by:
   1. S&TA or Examiner only [S]
   2. Executive Committee of the USPA Board only [E]

C. Procedures for Filing Waivers

1. Waivers are to be filed only when the person(s) filing the waiver is assured that there will be no compromise of safety.
2. Inspections
   1. The person(s) filing the waiver should make periodic inspections to ensure that safety is not being compromised and to determine if the waiver should be rescinded.
   2. In the case of waivers by the Executive Committee, the Regional Director will perform these inspections and make recommendations to the Board.
3. Form of waiver
   1. Any waiver filed by an S&TA or Examiner except for the deployment altitude exception in 2-1 I.4. will be in writing on the waiver form available for download at uspa.org.
   2. A copy of the waiver will be sent to both the USPA Regional Director and USPA Headquarters.
   3. The S&TA may waive the minimum deployment altitude for C and D license holders from 2,500 feet down to 2,000 feet for a jump or a series of jumps if necessary.
   4. The deployment altitude waiver does not require any written notification to USPA Headquarters or the Regional Director, however the S&TA should make a note of the waiver for his own records.
4. S&TAs are not to file waivers for skydiving activities outside their assigned area.
5. If there is a conflict between an S&TA and an Examiner as to whether a waiver should be filed, the decision of the S&TA will be final.
6. The Executive Committee or full Board of Directors will not approve a waiver without consulting and notifying the local S&TA or USPA Regional Director.
7. Any waivers filed by S&TAs or Examiners must specify a location with a copy to USPA Headquarters and the USPA Regional Director for that location.
8. The waiver will remain in place permanently unless the drop zone changes ownership or location, or the S&TA or Regional Director rescinds the waiver.

D. Filing of Waivers

1. Persons filing waivers will maintain permanent records of all waivers filed by themselves.
   1. The S&TA and Regional Director will maintain permanent records of all waivers filed for skydiving activities within their area.
   2. The records will be kept in such a manner as to indicate those waivers currently in effect and those that have been rescinded.
2. USPA Headquarters will maintain a permanent record of all waivers.