Amusement Park Ride Manufacturer Experiment

Engineers are increasingly involved in the design and manufacturing of amusement park rides. Many manufacturers are beginning to incorporate engineers into the design process, and this is an important step towards improving the safety of these rides. Currently, CPSC is the only authority that can impose a remedy on rides in multiple states.

Amusement park ride malfunctions were the predominant event type

Media articles generally include a report of the event, along with details of the number of injuries, fatalities, and location. The type of ride used to classify the event was also noted. For example, a roller coaster might have malfunctioned when it hit an obstruction across the path of a ride. Another event could be a drowning accident. A third of the amusement park ride malfunction reports were related to water parks.

There were 182 reported events in the study’s database. Of those, 51 resulted in fatalities. The types of rides and operations included in the study included roller coasters, fixed-site rides, mobile rides, and waterpark rides. The most common types of events were malfunctions and drowning. There were also incidents related to ride design hazards and rider actions.

The data was limited by a few reasons. First, many regions of the world lack regulation or the use of international standards for amusement devices. A third-party inspection agency may be more reliable in assessing these events. Second, there is a lack of detailed information on the nature of the business activity.

Despite the limitations of the data, these results highlight that ride types influence the incidence of accidents. While the majority of injuries are due to rider actions, amusement park ride manufacturer are more likely to result in ride malfunctions. The study also identified that riders may be more vulnerable to accidents if they are not able to take control over their actions.

The study results showed that the majority of injuries at amusement parks occur between May and September. The majority of these injuries are soft-tissue and head and neck injuries, with 28% of the total number of injuries related to falls on amusement park rides.

Other event types were reported

While ride malfunctions were the most common type of event reported, there were other types of events reported, too. Waterparks, mobile rides, and fixed-site operations reported other types of events. However, the exact proportion of each type is not available. The percentages listed in the tables are not significant enough to test the association statistically.

The study found that, in total, 182 accidents were reported in media across the world during the study period. Of these, 51 reported events involved fatalities. This represents about 28% of the total. However, it is important to note that fourteen worker accidents and 63 ride stoppage reports were not included in this analysis. These reports should be interpreted in the context of the business activity.

Engineering inspections were not performed regularly

While engineers can perform engineering inspections, they aren’t always required to perform them regularly. Amusement park rides must withstand a large amount of force and weight, and PEs need to understand the forces and loads they must withstand. Those factors can include imperfections in the surface, wind, and the sway behavior of the structure. Moreover, PEs need to understand the effects of fatigue.

As one-of-a-kind designs, amusement park rides require professional engineering, including failure mode analysis and “what if” analyses. Although large amusement park ride manufacturers are generally aware of the importance of safety, smaller companies may not be as concerned about the public’s safety. Because of this, Heneage believes that there should be a legal requirement for PEs to perform a safety analysis on amusement park rides. Also, PEs must seal design documents.

An engineer should have experience in mechanical and structural engineering. In addition, he or she must have specialized training in electrical and welding requirements. It is also necessary to have a licensed engineer who is familiar with the stipulations for amusement rides. This is especially true if the amusement ride is for children who are 42 inches or less.

Engineers should be accredited by the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) or by a third-party certification program. This ensures that they have attained the necessary training. They should be able to report on the performance of rides and report the results to the park owner.

Engineers should also be able to perform physical and structural inspections of amusement park rides. The safety of amusement park rides depends on their quality and safety. Failure to inspect rides regularly could result in injuries or fatalities. The safety of the public should be paramount.

CPSC is the only authority that could impose remedy on rides in multiple states

The CPSC is the only authority in the country that could impose a remedy on rides across states. The agency enforces federal safety laws related to amusement rides. It may enforce a remedy through a statutory provision or seek court intervention. The agency defends its actions in challenges in federal court.

In Wisconsin, multiple state agencies oversee amusement rides, including the DSPS for mobile and fixed-site rides. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection oversees water rides. These agencies perform initial inspections of rides and report any injuries. Wisconsin is not alone in tracking injuries sustained on amusement rides.

Florida has high standards for amusement rides. State inspectors inspect most rides regularly and large theme parks like Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld employ full-time inspectors. Despite these requirements, many amusement parks are not regulated. Major accidents involving children in rides have led to public calls for regulation. For example, in 2007, June Alexander, a young girl, was killed in a ride at an unregulated roadside amusement park in the Great Smoky Mountains. The park manager was later convicted of reckless homicide.

The CPSC has found that more than 30,000 people of all ages went to an emergency room due to an injury caused by an amusement ride. Approximately half of the injuries were caused by zip lines and inflatable bounce houses. Another half of the total was caused by inflatable slides and moon bounces. In addition, a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics in 2013 found that 4,400 children were injured by amusement rides annually.

Ungleya.com