Park Safety
parkworld-online.com
As ride
manufacturers take advantage of new technology, buyers need to become knowledgeable on the computer and electrical components, not just the mechanical
Brian Ondrey, Irvine Ondrey Engineering
Tony Rossi, International Rides Management/ LeisureTech Service – Listen and learn from the “old timers.” We have all made mistakes and have learned from them. Newcomers should take the opportunity to learn from the miscues that have been made before and this way they can continue to help improve our industry moving forward.
How has the industry’s safety record improved over the years? Stefan Kasper, TÜV-Süd – Ride safety is based on three main pillars – technology, operation and maintenance. Germany and Europe traditionally have extremely high levels of safety, which are regulated by appropriate standards and statutory provisions. We know from our work at TÜV Süd that the requirements set forth in the European EN 13814 standard, which governs the planning, construction, operation and inspection of fairground and amusement park machinery and structures, are also observed and implemented by increasing numbers of amusement park operators outside Europe too. With this background, we believe have improved the standards to support the industry and all involved parties. TR – Documented incidents have been reduced through increased industry oversight and education. The ASTM F24 committee, which is made up of voluntary members of the industry including manufacturers, owner/operators, jurisdictional regulators, insurance underwriters, large theme parks, smaller parks and travelling showmen, offers a forum where we can come together and improve how amusement devices are
designed, manufactured, inspected, maintained and operated. This has helped make our industry better. Brian Ondrey, Irivne Ondrey Engineering – I’m finding that many professionals in the industry are actually not aware of some of the incredible technological advances in the last couple of years, most specifically system components designed with safety in mind. I encourage park professionals to explore the many new options being made available to us that will reduce liability and increase safety for our guests.
Does the industry do a good enough job of communicating its excellent safety record? TR – We are improving every day. The industry as a whole is coming together to make things better. There are numerous industry organisations and jurisdictional agencies that readily share any safety concerns, issues, notifications or bulletins, which has helped. Is it a perfect system? No, but it is a pretty good work in progress.
Keeping the rides running at Quassy Amusement Park
Leading the team of early-risers at Quassy Amusement Park affectionately known as the ‘Scream Doctors’, Rui Da Silva (pictured) has spent half his life working at the lakeside facility in Middlebury, Connecticut. Here the park’s 35-year-old head of maintenance tells us more about his work
I’ve been here 19 years. I have fond memories of coming to the park as a kid and riding the Little Dipper rollercoaster and carousel. I started as a games attendant in my first year at the park and moved to grounds maintenance the following
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season. In 2005 I got his first taste of working on the rides as a daily inspector and lending a hand with mechanical work. In recent years we have completely repainted the coaster’s train and refurbished all of the other old Herschell rides in the park. I work with a staff of four other maintenance personnel and early in the 2012 season the owners of the park presented us with “Scream Doctors” T-shirts, a phrase that has certainly stuck. The morning maintenance schedule begins at 7am with several hours of prep work on the rides before the first guests step foot on the property. We have to check every safety latch and belt and thoroughly check other components for wear and tear. Anything that needs immediate attention is repaired and all of the necessary daily paperwork is signed, assuring that the rides are ready for anxious guests. “Sometimes we put in 12-hour days during the busiest part of the year. Over the past decade Quassy has been implementing a long-range plan to expand and update. In 2003 there was the introduction of Saturation Station, an SCS waterplay area. Its overnight success led to the addition of two ProSlide Tunnel Twister slides and a Chance Yo-Yo swing ride in 2006. The maintenance staff were hands on as we helped to construct the giant troughs under the direction of an on-site engineer from ProSlide. Other recent additions include a Zamperla Galleon pirate
ship (2008), Childress three-lane slide (2008), SBF drop tower (2010) and a Zamperla tea cup (2012). But the ride that put Quassy Amusement Park on the international map was the Wooden Warrior rollercoaster, which made its debut in 2011. The entire track is walked each morning before the empty train makes its first revolution. Between checking the structure and cars, we average one-and-a-half hours on the coaster each morning. As with any new piece of equipment, we also had to become acclimated with all of the mechanical components on the ride, including a computerised “brain” (control system) that runs the coaster’s lift hill and braking mechanisms. Maintenance on the massive structure is ongoing as bolts have to be tightened along the 1,250 ft of track as well as on the uprights (bents). While the off-season offers reprieve from the daily chores of inspecting, repairing and operating, it brings with it an aggressive agenda before the park opens the next spring. Like most other parks, we have a rotating schedule for rides to be refurbished. Key components are checked for wear and tear and a number of rides receive new paint. I am particularly satisfied with the metallic finishes we applied to the helicopter ride in Kiddyland and the total repainting of the popular Trabant and Paratrooper family rides.
quassy.com
MARCH 2015
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