Prescribed safety measures for amusement rides

FUN RIDES throw safety to the WINDS
Keerthana Thorat TNN
Bangalore: Riding on a giant wheel or 'columbus' at break-neck speeds always sets the pulse racing. While these thrilling rides provide an adrenaline rush, they can also claim lives. The speed of these fun rides that makes them so exhilarating, also makes them dangerous. With a boom in thrill-seekers, amusement parks have mushroomed. Monday's incident, when a jump from a ride in Bal Bhavan killed 24-year-old Ayesha, has raised concerns over the lack of regulatory measures. Visitors to the park will come across a variety of hair-raising rides, most of which woefully lack in the safety department. They have neither seat belts nor proper structural fencing. The park lacks welltrained operators to handle accidents. What's more frightening, is the absence of a full-fledged first aid centre with a medical professional on the premises. In the event of any untoward incident, immediate care is unavailable. The boat ride has no lifeguards, nor are customers give life-vests. The park is a sign of gross violation of every rule in the safety book, and the lack of an enforcing or regulatory authority to evaluate safety in amusement parks makes matters worse. Proper design, maintenance and operation of rides are key to ensure safety in amusement parks. The authorities' failure to monitor the functioning of parks contributes to owners' indifference to safety. After the incident, the Bal Bhavan park was closed on Tuesday. Principal secretary, women and child welfare department, Shalini Rajneesh said the contractor or owner of the amusement park will be permitted to start functioning only after he gets clearance from the public works department, fire and emergency services, Bescom and the police. The departments check the equipment and safety measures, and give a no-objection certificate. It's only after obtaining these that the operator gets permission to run the park from the women and child welfare department. While the PWD checks structural ability, fire and emergency checks equipment safety. Bescom looks into electricity-related aspects while the police investigate the contractor's antecedents. "Lack of periodical checks of equipment and their functioning is the main cause of untoward incidents. These checks are only conducted during the time of installation. Lack of strict vigil on parks' operations is a fault in the system. Safety measures must be inspected every 3-6 months,'' she said.
PRESCRIBED SAFETY MEASURES
Sturdy equipment with safety belts, handle-bars and strong locks that do not open up under pressure Adequate safety guards manning the rides Lifeguards and rescue divers/swimmers to keep a watch on people entering water Basic first aid and doctor Regular checks of equipment DOs
Read, understand and follow instructions before getting into a ride. Wear seat-belts Explain to children correct and safe behaviour, like remaining seated, keeping hands and feet inside and following the operator's instructions If you find children crying or in distress, immediately ask the operator to stop
DON'Ts
Don't try stunts while on a ride Don't jump out till the ride comes to a complete halt Don't let children out of your sight. Always watch them when they are on a ride Don't get into water rides without a lifeguard nearby. Ask for one if you don't see any. Don't sit on rides without seat belts