Cancelled RAG bungee jump green lit by college
Alice Gast believed to have worried about proximity to buildings
Despite knowing about it since November, college officials cancelled the jump just three days before it was due to take place, over health and safety concerns.
The RAG committee were contacted by senior college officials last Friday, who told them the bungee jump would not be happening.
The jump was rescheduled last week due to unsuitable weather conditions, and there were no concerns voiced by college over the safety of the event then. The latest cancellation had nothing to do with weather, with sources citing issues with health and safety.
A college spokesperson told us: “senior College safety staff have been carrying out final checks over the last week liaising with the new bungee jump supplier” which “unfortunately required the scheduled event to be postponed for a time”.
“We are sorry for any inconvenience this caused to those taking part but grateful to all involved for their help in arranging for the rescheduled jump to go ahead.”
RAG changed bungee supplier since last year, but only to switch to one deemed more financially stable by the union. The RAG committee informed college of this decision last year and all the relevant risk assessments had been sent to college Estates before Christmas. The plan was then okayed by college officials, as it is every year.
FELIX understands that the President of Imperial College, Alice Gast, herself may have then raised concerns about the jump, despite having been here for last year’s.
On Tuesday, just after FELIX had published an article reporting the cancellation, college allowed RAG to provisionally re-arrange the event to the 21st and 22nd of March.
The bungee jump is a staple in the RAG week calendar, with students having jumped from a crane over Queen’s Lawn for several years now.
This year, students paid £40 for the jump, and each had to raise the same amount in sponsorship to take part.
It’s not been an easy year for RAG, with their magazine effectively “banned” this month, their committee threatened with academic sanctions over the the publication and their jailbreak team being hauled off a flight after terrorism suspicions.
