UK theme parks and fairgrounds face major health and safety checks after high speed incidents - list of rides

Several incidents across UK theme parks and fairgrounds have led HSE to address emerging safety issues
UK theme parks and fairgrounds face major health and safety checks after high speed incidents - list of rides UK theme parks and fairgrounds face major health and safety checks after high speed incidents - list of rides
UK theme parks and fairgrounds face major health and safety checks after high speed incidents - list of rides

Extra safety checks on UK theme park and fairground rides are set to take place this summer, after a number of incidents which are currently being investigated by Britain's workforce regulator. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will carry out 100 targeted inspections of specific fairground rides with the programme set to finish by September 2023

Several incidents across UK theme parks and fairgrounds have led HSE to address emerging safety issues in the industry. Some of these include two incidents at Cavendish Park, Barrow and Cardiff Winter Wonderland and high speed ride incidents at Hull Fair and Brockwell Park, London.

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HSE inspector David Kivlin said: “When there is a failure or incorrect operation of a ride it can result in catastrophic consequences. HSE recognises that recent incidents, including the prosecution of operators following a fatal incident in March 2016 involving inflatable devices, have raised public awareness of the potential for injury and harm to users of such devices when they are not set up, maintained and operated in-line with manufacturer guidance or good practice standards.

“HSE’s overall strategy is to promote the safe use of fairground rides and inflatable devices and in doing so reduce the risk of such catastrophic incidents to as low as is reasonably practicable.”

The health and safety procedure started on April 24 with inspectors from the National Fairground Inspection Team (NFIT) sent to visit rides across the UK. Should they find any risk of personal injury, the inspectors can serve an Improvement and Prohibition Notices as well as prosecution.

Which theme park and fairground rides are HSE inspecting? 

  • Round Ups

  • Crazy Frogs

  • Twists

  • High speed rides

  • Star Flyers 

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