SERVING INJURED CLIENTS THROUGHOUT THE U.S.A.

Improper Ride Setup

There are many reasons why an amusement ride may malfunction. One common issue that rides can face is improper setup. This is especially common when dealing with carnivals or moveable rides, since these rides are frequently put up and taken down. When the rides are altered constantly, it becomes more likely that something can go wrong with the setup. On this page, you can learn more about improper ride setup and what it could mean for your family.

Moveable and Fixed Rides

Setup is required for both moveable and fixed rides, although moveable rides require more changes to the rides that could lead to issues. As carnivals move from town to town, rides are taken down and put up at different sites. Each time that a ride is taken down, transported, and then put up at a new location, each step of the ride must be followed closely to make sure that the setup is done correctly. If setup is not done correctly, it could cause the ride to malfunction while passengers are using it.

Even though fixed rides are not fully assembled every few days, weeks, or months, there are setup aspects that should be frequently checked. For example, ride operators should check that seatbelts, bars, and harnesses are in proper working order. These should be checked very often to make sure that the ride is safe for passengers.

Who Assembles Rides?

At carnivals, it is important to consider who is in charge of assembling rides. These people are in charge of passenger safety, so they should be qualified to operate and assemble the machinery.

Each person in charge of putting together rides should have been properly trained on how to do so. They should also follow a step-by-step process to make sure that they don’t miss any important steps in assembling rides. Ideally, another worker will watch the assembly to make sure it is going smoothly, or will check the ride once it is assembled.

Workers should take their jobs of taking down and putting together rides very seriously. Sometimes, carnival workers are not properly trained or have to work long hours that can affect their focus. This can be very dangerous because if workers are tired or overworked, they may not be able to properly focus on assembling rides. This can lead to missed steps or other problems with ride setup that can affect your children or other passengers.

Keeping Your Family Safe

It can be difficult for park goers to understand how rides were assembled. This can make it hard to determine how safe the rides are. But, there are a few ways that you can consider the safety of a carnival or an amusement park.

First, pay attention to the rides. Do they seem to be in good working order? Is any of the equipment rusty or creating obvious problems? Next, pay attention to the workers. Do they seem engaged in their work and focused on operating the rides? If they seem tired or their attention is lax, this could mean that they are not paying attention while operating the rides. In addition, this could mean that they were not paying attention when they were setting up the rides.

If your child was injured on a ride, a malfunction may have occurred because of improper ride setup. If you think that this might be the case, contact my office for more help.

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