Patrons ejected from amusement ride

Purpose

In a recent incident involving a Joy Whizzer amusement ride, two patrons received serious injuries when they were ejected after the gondola’s patron restraint and floor fell away.

Patron ejection has historically been the cause of numerous incidents involving similar types of rides, including an incident in Victoria in 2017 where a 6 year old boy sustained fatal injuries.

The information contained in this alert may be applicable to other ride types, in addition to Whizzer, Sizzler, Scrambler, and Cha Cha type rides. Ride owners should read this alert and assess if the safety issues identified are present on their rides, and if so, take appropriate action to prevent similar incidents.

Background

The Joy Whizzer is a ride in the same style as other Whizzer, Sizzler, Scrambler and Cha Cha type rides. It has a central pillar around which three arms rotate. At the end of each of these arms is another pillar around which four gondolas rotate. The dual rotating nature of the central and outer pillars causes patrons to accelerate in different directions during the ride cycle, including backwards, forwards, and sideways.

Given the forces on the patrons, the restraints on these types of rides are critical in preventing patron ejection and have been the subject of numerous Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) safety alerts. The most recent safety alert can be read here: Re-design of rider restraint systems on amusement devices.

Safety issues

Initial investigations have identified the patrons were ejected from the gondola when the patron restraint system failed. The patrons were thrown to the ground beneath the moving arms of the ride and were extremely lucky not to have been struck as the ride continued to rotate above them before coming to a halt.

An inspection of the ride identified that the patron restraint system was mounted to a removable floor section at the front of the gondola (refer image 1). As such, the patron restraint system was reliant on the structural integrity of the removable floor and its bolted connections to function correctly. If the floor connection fails, then it is highly likely the patron restraint system will fail too.

Photograph 1 - Joy Whizzer gondola with patron restraint mounted on removable floor section (NOTE: bolted floor connection point on left hand side of steps)

In this instance, it appears that the floor connections had deteriorated to an unsafe state. Concerningly, the deterioration of these connections was not identified at the ride’s annual inspection, which was performed less than 6 months prior to the incident.

Some Sizzler type ride gondolas feature a similar design. The patron restraint system on these gondolas is also dependent on the integrity of the floor pivot/connection bolts (refer image 2).

Photograph 2 - Typical sizzler gondola with patron restraint and removable/pivotable floor sharing a bolted connection (NOTE: pivot bolts at base of patron restraint lap bar)

Some ride manufacturers have published safety bulletins stating the importance of regularly inspecting these pivot bolts and associated connections. Despite this, WHSQ regularly find that ride owners and engineers are not aware of these safety bulletins nor the issues they address.

Action required

Amusement device owners should inspect their rides to identify if the patron restraint system is dependent on the structural integrity of other components or connections (such as a removable floor). If similar features exist, the ride owner should take the following immediate action:

• Check the manufacturer’s website for any relevant safety bulletins that may have been published in relation to the ride.
• Perform an initial inspection of these areas against the manufacturer’s requirements in the ride manual, or relevant safety bulletins, to confirm whether they are in good condition and free from wear, corrosion, damage, or structural defects.
• If there is any doubt about whether or not the components comply, seek advice from the manufacturer or a suitably competent person such as a Registered Professional Engineer Queensland (RPEQ) ride engineer.
• Add the inspection of these areas to the checklists for the set-up, daily, monthly, annual and major inspections, including instructions on what to inspect and measure, with clear “pass/fail” acceptance criteria.
• Ensure the ride set-up crew and operators are trained in what to inspect and measure, and what action to take if these components fail the inspection criteria.
• Ensure these components are treated as critical components and are inspected by a suitably competent person, such as an RPEQ ride engineer, at the device’s annual and major inspections. More on critical components below.
• Train ride operators to ensure that the patron restraint, and any secondary restraints, are operating correctly and fully engaged prior to commencing the ride cycle.

Additional items to check in relation to patron restraints

• Ensure patron restraints are capable of preventing patron ejection in accordance with WHSQ’s 2018 safety alert “Re-design of rider restraint systems on amusement devices”.
• Ensure the patron restraint will remain robust and contain patrons in the correct riding position if the primary lock fails or is left disengaged and only the secondary locking mechanism remains engaged. If the primary lock is disengaged or fails, the secondary locking mechanism should not allow the patron restraint to partially open and increase the risk of ejection.  If a damaged or faulty restraint locking system is found the gondola is to be removed from service until it is repaired.
• Check to confirm the patron restraint cannot inadvertently be left in the unlocked position. It is preferred that the locking pin automatically engages when it is released by the operator.
• Secondary locking mechanisms consisting of rope and cleat and/or chain and dog clip arrangements are no longer acceptable. Audits by Inspectors have revealed that with repeated usage these control measures can become worn and ineffective. A more robust secondary locking system should be implemented as a permanent solution as noted in the 2018 WHSQ safety alert.

Critical components

The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (the Regulation) defines a critical component to be “a component of the device that would, if the component failed to function properly, be likely to cause a risk to the health or safety of a person.”

Where multiple components or connections support safety critical elements, and the failure of one of these components would lead to the failure of the element, the individual components are critical components.

The gondola floors and patron restraints on Joy Whizzer and Sizzler rides are reliant on the structural integrity and alignment of the bolted connections.  If a component in these connections fails, the patron restraint may not be effective or the gondola floor may fall off, exposing the patrons to the risk of injury or ejection.  Therefore, the floor connection bolts on these rides are critical components.

Ride owners should have a suitably competent person, such as an RPEQ ride engineer, inspect their rides to identify ALL critical components and document these in the ride’s logbook. The logbook or ride manual should also be updated to include instructions on what to inspect and measure, with clear “pass/fail” acceptance criteria.  Routine maintenance and inspections should check for any wear, damage or corrosion on all structural elements of the ride.

At the device’s annual inspection (as defined by section 241 of the Regulation), a suitably competent person, such as an RPEQ ride engineer, must undertake a detailed inspection of the amusement device, including a specific inspection of the critical components of the amusement device.

At the device’s major inspection (as defined by section 241A of the Regulation), the competent person must perform a thorough examination of all critical components of the device, including, if necessary, stripping down the device and removing paint, grease and corrosion, and a check of the effective and safe operation of the device.

Annual and major inspections are cornerstones of the regulatory framework regarding amusement devices, and it is critical that the persons performing and overseeing these inspections do so appropriately to ensure amusement devices are safe for workers and the public. If the ride owner or competent person (ride engineer) do not adequately perform these inspections and fulfill their duties under the Regulation, WHSQ will take appropriate compliance and enforcement action.

Ride manufacturer safety bulletins and alerts

The Work Health and Safety Act and Regulation place duties on ride owners to ensure an amusement device (plant) is without risks to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes being aware of the latest safety bulletins and alerts published by ride manufacturers and/or government authorities, and reviewing, or implementing additional, risk control measures accordingly.

One way to be kept informed about new safety alerts & bulletins from ride manufacturers is to register your details with the manufacturer so you can be notified when updated information is available. Online databases of ride safety and technical bulletins, such as ADIPS and Rides Database (both linked below), can also be freely searched by the public. These can be especially useful where a ride manufacturer no longer exists.