A state investigation into the death of a worker and the critical injuries of another during the testing of a Hawaii island thrill ride called ziplining should spur legislation requiring thorough safeguards. The suspension of pulleys suspended on a slope between wooden towers by cable 200 feet above the rain forest north of Hilo and similarly perilous operations need better regulation, for both the safety of adventure-seeking tourists as well as zipline workers.

The state Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Committee has begun an investigation into the death of Ted Callaway, of Maui, an employee of Experiential Resources Inc., a Maui company that builds and maintains ziplines. Callaway fell 200 feet while halfway across a 2,300-foot span between towers, one of which collapsed, causing fellow employee Curtis Wright also to fall and incur multiple injuries. The zipline was to be operated by Lava Hotline LLC, which opened four zip lines to the public and was to open four more, including the one that collapsed last week.

The euphoria-producing adventure is said to have originated in Costa Rica more than a decade ago and has gravitated to the United States. A least a dozen have been launched in Hawaii, and are a growing component in Hawaii’s off-the-beaten-path offerings. Experiential Resources has been in the forefront, building or operating courses on all four major islands and claiming to be "the global leader in the designing and building of adventure courses and zip lines with over 1,000 line spans build to date."

Unfortunately, safety rules specifically governing ziplining in Hawaii haven’t kept up with the activity’s growing popularity.

Hawaii rules call for twice-a-year inspections of "amusement" rides. However, those rules apply only to "mechanically or electrically operated devices considered as major rides and used as amusement rides at a carnival, fair or amusement park for the purpose of protecting the safety of the general public." Ziplines don’t contain mechanical or electric parts.

Last year, state Rep. Mark Nakashima (D-Kohala, Hamakua, Hilo) introduced a bill to regulate ziplines and require companies be insured, but it failed to advance. He rightly plans to reintroduce the measure next year.

"(Ziplining) is a great thing; however, we need to ensure the health and safety of the participants are insured so we don’t have accidents like we had," Nakashima told Hawaii News Now last week. "As well as addressing some of the environmental issues that ziplines go into."

Gary Marrow, Lava Hotline’s owner, said the towers are not new and "were permitted, inspected and finalized" by Hawaii County building officials, as directed by state law. All required building permits were granted earlier this year, but the county Building Division does not oversee the cables.

West Virginia, one of four states that regulate ziplines, requires operators to meet standards for safe installation, operation and inspection, as set forth by international Association for Challenge Course Technology. The operation does not appear to be included under Hawaii regulations.

Ziplining can be a thrilling way to see some of a locale’s natural beauty, but it does come with perils. Last week’s tragedy attests to that — but in bringing current safety gaps into focus, the incident stands to help make the activity safer for future participants with stricter safety standards.