WorkSafe Queensland issues safety alert following Darling Downs school fete ride incident

WorkSafe Queensland have issued an amusement ride safety alert advising that prohibition notices will be issued to ride operators who do not adhere to ride safety requirements, in particular the height restrictions on patrons.

The alert follows injuries suffered by a five-year-old child who was ejected from an amusement ride, the 'Frisbee', operated by Carnival Land Amusements, at a school fete north of Toowoomba on Sunday 19th May.

The child sustained serious head injuries and required intensive care at a Brisbane hospital.

Investigations have focussed on whether the child was too small for the ride, which has a requirement that riders be 130 centimetres tall if unaccompanied children and 110 centimetres tall if accompanied by an adult, or if the safety equipment failed.

The WorkSafe Queensland alert states:

"Amusement rides are designed to provide a high level of excitement for patrons. The Frisbee spins the riders at high speed while they are restrained in the seat of the carriage.

"To ensure safety of the rider, the rider restraint system must be effectively designed and operated. The following two factors are critical to the safe design of the rider restraint system:

1. The reliability of the mechanism to effectively restrain the rider within the safe zone of the carriage.

2. The physical size of the rider for which the restraint system is designed.

Contributing factors

"The rider restraint system on the Frisbee ride is designed to cater for riders who are over the height of 130 centimetres. People over 130 centimetres in height can ride on the Frisbee independently. However, riders who are over 110 centimetres may ride under the supervision of a responsible adult within the same carriage. Children who are under the height of 110 centimetres must not be allowed to ride on the Frisbee.

"The design of the rider restraint system on the Frisbee is not suitable for undersized riders. "When undersized riders are allowed on the ride, either of the following outcomes may occur:

1. The undersized rider may accidentally slip under the restraining bar and into the foot well of the carriage and then be ejected from the ride.

2. The undersized rider may inadvertently manoeuvre both his/her legs onto the seat of the carriage and, in so doing, raise his/her body centre of gravity to such an extent that he/she may be ejected from the carriage.

"Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is currently investigating the incident. One of the issues being investigated is whether the ride operator allowed an undersized child on the ride.

Action required

1. Owners of amusement rides must refer to the manufacturer's manual to determine if there are any size restrictions for the ride.

2. If the information is not provided by the manufacturer or the owner is not able to locate the manufacturer's manual for an old ride, the owner must engage a competent person (usually an engineer with relevant qualification and experience) to make such a determination.

3. Any size restriction must be clearly publicised by way of notices or a display sign at the entrance to the ride.

• The owner of the ride must communicate the minimum height requirement to workers operating the ride and provide training to these workers so that this requirement is strictly enforced.

• The owner must take steps to monitor the operation of the ride to ensure that the procedure is being followed diligently by the operator. Failure to enforce the requirement may result in serious injuries."

For more information call the WorkSafe Queensland infoline on 1300 369 915 or go to www.aalara.com.au/news/item/id/13