The sector often uses various terms to describe similar activities, and AALA has addressed this with a list of ‘specified activities,’ which are essentially forms of licensable activities. For instance, activities like ‘coasteering,’ ‘gorge walking,’ ‘bouldering,’ or ‘scrambling’ are considered licensable only if they include ‘climbing’ as defined in regulation 2 of the HSE Licensable Activities.
AALA FAQs
AALA
Frequently asked questions
FAQs
These FAQs are designed to help applicants understand how the licensing process works and what to expect when Adventure RMS is involved.
We work on behalf of the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA), part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Our role is to respond to applications and other requests from AALA, and not to provide a direct point of contact for potential applicants, existing licence holders or other parties.
Who to contact
If you need clarification about your licence or the licensing scheme itself, please contact AALA directly at aala-applications@hse.gov.uk.
The following responses refer to the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations (2004).
1. Why can't Adventure RMS answer questions about my licence?
The AALA (part of HSE) has full responsibility for administering the licensing scheme. Adventure RMS is contracted only to review applications and provide a decision within a set time frame. We do not manage enquiries, complaints, or questions about licences. All enquiries about your current licence, the application process, or the scheme itself must go to the AALA.
2. Which activities can go on an AALA licence?
3. Who should I contact for advice about applying for a licence?
The AALA handles all aspects of the application process, including forms, payments, and general enquiries. You can reach them at aala-applications@hse.gov.uk
4. How long does the process take?
Once the AALA has received your completed application, supporting documents, and payment, they pass it to us for review. Adventure RMS must provide a decision within 56 days of receiving it.
Because each application is different, we recommend allowing at least three months from submitting your application to receiving your licence. You can help speed things up by ensuring your application is complete and responding promptly to any follow‑up questions from your inspector.
5. What happens if I apply late?
If your current licence expires before your review is complete, you cannot legally deliver licensable activities until your new licence is issued.
6. How do I add activities to a licence?
To add new activities you must apply to the AALA for a licence variation. There is no fee. Email aala-applications@hse.gov.uk.
They will ask for:
- Operating procedure/statement. This should include the minimum level of instructor competence required of those deployed to lead the activity and the minimum ratio of these to participants
- Written evidence of risk assessment covering activity and venue (combined or separately)
- Evidence of instructor competence matching that required by the operating procedure
- Emergency action procedure appropriate to the activity and the venues at which it will be delivered
- Evidence of the provision and maintenance of suitable equipment in order to deliver the activity
Adventure RMS will review the variation request once the AALA sends it to us.
7. How long does it take to add activities to an existing licence?
Timescales vary depending on:
- The nature and complexity of the activity/activities
- The number of activities requested
- Whether the activity is in a different category to those already being provided
- The quality of the information you provide
- Inspector availability
- Your availability for discussion
- Whether a site visit is necessary
- Administration time
AALA and Adventure RMS will deal with your request as promptly as possible but cannot guarantee a specific timeframe. Please consider this before accepting bookings for new activities.
8. If I take children out with teachers present, do I still need an AALA licence?
Yes, if the work you are doing falls within scope of the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 2004. Regulation 3(c) specifies which adults must accompany young people for the provision to be exempt from licensing and this does not include their teachers. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/1309/regulation/3/made
9. What if my licence is due for renewal when I am not operational?
Inspectors use various techniques to review an application; only one of these is direct observation of an activity. As long as staff, equipment, facilities, and documentation are available to an inspector it is usually possible to reach a decision. If insufficient evidence is available, the licence may be refused or issued with non-standard conditions.
During the application review process consideration is given to adjusting licence duration so that at the next review the inspector will have an opportunity to observe how safety management arrangements operate in practice.
10. How is the duration of my licence decided?
The HSE have set the criteria for defining licence duration. Adventure RMS applies this policy when reviewing applications.
11. How long will inspectors be on site if a visit is required?
This varies depending on what the inspector needs to see. A visit may last less than an hour or several hours, depending on the evidence required.
12. Will I have the same inspector every time?
Not necessarily. We balance the benefits of continuity with the value of a fresh perspective.
13. Where do site visits take place?
Your inspector will agree the most suitable location with you. Visits focus on the areas where further evidence or clarification is needed following the core review. The inspector will try to arrange the time and place of the visit to give them the best chance to get the evidence they need. Read more about site visits.
14. When will I be told the outcome?
Your inspector will give feedback during the process, but the formal outcome is the licence and report shared with you by the AALA.
15. What if an inspector cannot recommend issuing a licence?
If your report identifies required remedial actions, the AALA will give you a timeframe to address them. If you do not address the relevant matters within this period, you will receive written notification of refusal and it would be illegal for you to deliver activities for which a licence is required.
16. Can inspectors look at activities that are out of scope for licencing?
Yes. Inspectors may consider any relevant evidence that comes to their attention, including that from non-licensable activities, but their primary focus will be on your licensable activities.
Out-of-scope activities still fall under general health and safety law, and therefore your safety management systems should be robust in all aspects of your business, whether licensable or not. Where an inspector has concerns about an out-of-scope activity they may take this into account when making a licensing decision, and if appropriate inform the relevant enforcing authority.
17. Will an inspector tell me how to manage risks or write a risk assessment?
No. Inspectors gather evidence to support a licensing decision. If during this process they can share advice and good practice from their own experience, then they will, but they do not act as your safety adviser.
18. Can inspectors request information covered by GDPR?
Yes. Inspectors may need to see documents, equipment, or places to reach a decision. GDPR does not prevent you from sharing necessary evidence, but you can always ask why it is needed and how it will be used.
Regulation 6(4) makes it clear that the inspector needs to see any such places, equipment and documents as they think necessary for the purpose of enabling the licensing authority to reach a decision. It is also a standard condition of your licence (regulation 9(1)(e)) that you accede to any reasonable request for information from the authority relating to your activity provision. The information you share should not be in breach of your requirement to hold information that is adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary.
19. Do I need a technical expert for every activity?
The regulations require a competent person/s to advise on safety matters – regulations 6(1)(a)(iv) and 9(1)(c). So, it is essential for the management of activities to be in competent hands; whether this is an internal manager, a staff team, or an external safety adviser(s).
This competent person/s may need to call on the services of a specialist ‘technical expert’ to answer specific technical questions or to undertake the assessment of instructors where they are deployed to operate without a nationally recognised qualification or beyond the remit of their qualifications.
The ‘safety adviser’ role goes beyond ’technical expertise’. Commonly this role will be undertaken by an existing member/s of management or staff. Where an external safety adviser is required they must have sufficient knowledge of, and involvement in, the operation to ensure activities are safely managed.
The ‘technical expert’ role is limited to assessing leaders as competent (when required) and providing technical advice in relation to specific issues (when requested). Of course, it is quite possible for a suitably experienced, competent and qualified person to be both a safety adviser and a technical expert.
20. Who produces 'statements of competence' ?
Where statements of competence are used to evidence the suitability of an instructor, the assessment of their technical competence must be made by an appropriate technically competent person. Whether this person is internal or external to the organisation is irrelevant, however, it is good practice to ensure that in-house training and final assessment are carried out by different people.
21. Do I need a licence if I only work with groups consisting of families?
Possibly. Young people must be accompanied during the activity by a parent, guardian, or someone with legal parental responsibility. Other relatives (siblings, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers etc.) do not count (see regulation 3(2)(c)) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/1309/regulation/3/made
22. When do I need a separate licence for a second operating base?
This depends on whether the second base meets the definition of an activity centre and operates for 28 days or more within any period.
Refer to the regulations for full details: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/1309/contents/made
23. Can a licence be transferred?
No. Licences are held by a ‘legal entity’. This may be an individual or a corporate body such as a limited company. Licences cannot be transferred from one legal entity to another. If your business structure or name changes (sole trader to limited company for example) contact the AALA for guidance: AALA-applications@HSE.gov.uk)
24. Must I follow the advice given by an inspector?
Where you are considered to be non-compliant with the regulations in some respect you will be given remedial action in your report. This identified remedial action must be completed to avoid the AALA taking action to limit or refuse your licence. Beyond this any verbal advice from an inspector or guidance is simply intended to be helpful and supportive.
25. How do I complain about a provider of adventure activities?
It can be difficult to work out who to complain to but getting the correct organisation to contact is an important first step. The correct place to address your complaint depends on whether the provider holds a current adventure activities licence, the type of business the provider operates and on what you wish to complain about.
Complaints about the provision of licensable activities delivered by licence-holders should be directed to the adventure activities licensing authority (AALA-applications@hse.gov.uk) , who are required to consider and, if necessary, investigate all such complaints.
- You can find if a provider is a licence-holder by referring to the public register Adventure Activities Licensing Scheme (AALS) – Looking for a provider? (hse.gov.uk)
- A description of activities that require a licence can be found at Licensable Activities (hse.gov.uk)
Complaints about someone providing licensable activities without a licence should be addressed to either HSE or the relevant local authority’s environmental health team depending on who is the appropriate enforcing authority. More information on this, and how to find the appropriate authority, is available at Tell us about a health and safety issue – Contact HSE
You may also wish to address such complaints to the provider’s local authority trading standards office. Information on how to find the relevant office is available at Consumer Help and Advice | CTSI – Chartered Trading Standards Institute UK
Complaints about unsafe provision of adventure activities by unlicensed providers should be addressed to either HSE or the relevant local authority’s environmental health team depending on who is the appropriate enforcing authority. More information on this, and how to find the appropriate authority, is available at Tell us about a health and safety issue – Contact HSE
