Queensland Government set to enforce tough safety rules for amusement rides

New regulations governing the safety of amuesement rides will come into force in Queensland before the end of the year, in a further crackdown following four fatalities at Dreamworld in October 2016.

Queensland Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said the Amusement Device Working Group, including industry representatives, would be given the draft Health and Safety (Amusement Devices - Public Safety) Amendment Regulation as part of ongoing consultation.

The proposed changes include mandatory training for ride operators, mandatory major inspections of all amusement and theme park rides, a requirement for major theme parks to develop an integrated safety management system and additional record-keeping through detailed log books for rides.

Minister Grace said training for each ride would be different and based on manufacturer's specifications, commenting “operating a merry-go-round might be different to operating a much more complex ride with different safety requirements.”

Minister Grace said she would also like to see the development of a code of practice to set details about training, adding “maybe the operators maybe identified, a trained operator, so when a parent puts their child on a ride they know the person that is there is a trained operator, it could be something hanging from their neck, something they're wearing.”

The draft reforms will be passed to the Queensland Coroner and come into force before the end of the year, Minister Grace told a budget estimates hearing on Thursday.

She also advised that recommendations from the inquest into the Dreamworld deaths would alos be taken into account, stating "if there are any further recommendations that come from the inquest we will ensure that we will incorporate those.”

The regulations will also apply to transportable rides as well as those fixed permanently in parks.

Workplace health and safety officers are preparing for a full audit of all 34 rides at Brisbane's Ekka show, which starts on 20th August, followed by an audit of all of Queensland’s amusement and theme parks.

The inquest into the Dreamworld fatalities is due to resume in October.

Image: In 2014, a 20-year-old carnival worker was killed while dismantling this fairground ride at Collingwood Park State School, west of Brisbane.