COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As summer
approaches, the Ohio amusement
industry seeks to assure residents that every appropriate step has
been taken to address amusement ride safety for the 2018 fair and
festival season. Reaffirming best practices and instituting
expanded inspection protocols has been the focus of the Greater Ohio Showmen's Association the past
year. Any ride accident is of concern to the industry. An
accident resulting in injury or loss of life is totally
unacceptable.
The tragic accident at last summer's Ohio State Fair prompted
the Industry to aggressively engage with government regulators,
national safety organizations, and amusement ride manufacturers to
ensure a system of checks and balances is adhered to as it pertains
to amusement ride safety.
The accident at the Ohio State Fair involved
a previously unknown and undetected corrosion problem with
amusement rides constructed with steel tubing. Following
a rigorous examination, the Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC) concluded that "excessive corrosion inside the gondola
support beam was the cause of the accident, and that a visual
inspection after the ride is in place would not detect corrosion
thinning from internal walls."
With this information in-hand, the Ohio amusement industry moved decisively,
advocating to ride manufacturers to issue service bulletins
addressing the corrosion issue. Following already in-place
protocols, ride owners will service rides as mandated by the
bulletins, and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Division of
Amusement Ride Safety will inspect and verify the ride is
compliant. The following four-point check and balance protocol is
as follows:
- First: Per ASTM International (ASTM) Standards ride
manufacturers will provide Service Bulletins addressing the
corrosion issue with steel construction to ride owners.
- Second: Ride owners perform a comprehensive inspection, as
mandated by manufacturers, outlined in the service bulletins.
Comprehensive inspection records must be maintained and
include:
-
- Details on which areas have been inspected
- Type of inspection method and acceptance criteria
- Date inspection was performed
- Specific observations and findings during inspection
- Identify who inspected the ride
- Third: Ride owners will provide the Ohio Department of
Agriculture, Division of Amusement Ride Safety the service bulletin
along with service bulletin inspection records during the
inspection process by Department of Agriculture ride
inspectors.
- Fourth: As part of the inspection process, the Ohio Department
of Agriculture, Division of Amusement Ride Safety will verify that
operators are compliant with any new bulletins or updates to
manufacturer's specifications issued since the ride's last
inspection.
These four steps will ensure rides identified as having possible
corrosion problems will be thoroughly inspected and documented to
be in compliance with ride manufacturer's specifications before
operating this season.
As an owner of a ride manufacturer, A.R.M., and a carnival,
Bates Brothers Amusement Co., Eric
Bates states, "the confluence of ride manufacturers, ride owners and ride
inspectors sharing information and working together makes this
four-step process work quite effectively."
Moreover, the strict safety protocol advocated by Ohio's amusement industry will be further
enhanced by revised standards soon to be released by ASTM. The
organization is currently evaluating twenty-one new guidelines to
address amusement ride corrosion as it pertains to manufacturing
design, inspection standards and non-destructive testing
protocol.
"The Outdoor Amusement Business Association (OABA) and some 1000
technical experts who participate in setting ASTM F-24 Committee
standards, are working diligently and quickly to review
additional requirements that should be added to pertinent, existing
amusement ride standards," notes Robert
Johnson, president and CEO of the OABA.
"When unfortunate, tragic accidents occur," Johnson
continues, "our industry's trade association and its members
of the F-24 Committee, work with the CPSC, and involved
stakeholders to gather information on ride failures and review it
against existing ASTM standards, to improve ride safety."
"This intensive effort on both an international and national
basis," asserts David Drake,
president of Greater Ohio Showmen's Association, "will produce
better regulations, increased testing and specific inspections by
Ohio Ride Safety inspectors, and enhanced amusement ride operations
making Ohio fairs and festivals as
safe as humanly possible."
"Our goal this festival season, and every festival season,"
Drake concludes, "is zero accidents, and complete public confidence
in Ohio's amusement industry."
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SOURCE Greater Ohio Showmen's Association