Free «Safety Standards at Amusement Parks» Essay

Introduction

Despite the enormous benefits of this wonderful venture, there are inherent risks that visitors might be exposed to uncontrollably in such parks (Amusement Park Hazards, 2010). Most of these hazards are largely preventable with better education, designs, education, information and ideas, and enforcement. Indeed, countries such as the United States have been pushing the industry to adopt various approaches to enhance safety of the visitors, especially children. In essence, many of the stipulations used to operate a device or amusement ride vary depending on the number of employees, rides, as well as a location of the facility. The emphasis placed by various governments and states is aimed at obliterating the incidents in the amusement parks and device industries in order to avert the unnecessary accidents and fatalities.

Over the past few years, the industry has made substantial strides in developing and implementing systems aimed at addressing patron’s safety. Numerous and major improvements on the device and ride systems are now common. Some of these improvements include the implementation of block sensors, restraints, warnings, machine guards, shutdown systems, and anti-roll backs. However, even with all these changes the industry has still suffered losses on both small and wide scales. Some of these implementations are highly publicized and of major concern to people. For instance, the visitors of the rides have incurred injuries such as loss of limbs on power shot rides, kiddie trains, go karts; a number of people have drowned in water parks and during river rides, others have been injured when derailing  roller coasters.. This has caused breakages of bones and traumata, and even deaths. Consequently, additional measures must be taken to curb the occurrence of such avoidable and unnecessary accidents and deaths.

Solutions

There are potential solutions to the above-mentioned problem of accidents in the industry. Thus,  safety in parks must be improved, especially safety of children. To achieve this, the following steps must be taken.

• Insist on thorough review and confirmation on procedures of the ride and device operation between the park employer, manufacturer, and the state (Safety First at Theme Parks, 2012).
• Use all safety equipment provided, for instance, safety belts, chains, lap bars, and handrails on a constant basis.
• Ensure that children do not ride when they are too exhausted and worn out to follow the safety procedures (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2012).
• Withdraw faulty devices and amusement rides from service in order to conduct further investigation of proper functionality of rides and other devices, and to ensure efficient repair, retesting and comprehensive inspection of them, and prior to starting using the service again.
• Contact the ride or device manufacturer for a possible redesigning of such devices and rides for dangerously assembled and unfitting rides and devices, for instance dangerous metal fittings in the ride or device.
• Pay attention to ride and device assembly by inspecting procedures prior to opening.
• Implement specific park programs to inform operators how to help victims when the accident occurred effectively, and especially, in case victims are young children.
• Issue stern directives concerning the necessity of riding without devices and gadgets with them, with an emphasis on wearing fitting clothes being made as well.
• Inspect all electrical cords and plugs keenly to make sure they are repaired and maintained. Electrical systems must be maintained in compliance with the maintenance code, for instance, by replacing faulty sockets and bulbs.

Ideal Solution

The ideal solution is to emphasize the importance of inspecting the devices daily to the device operators, and maintain proper operational procedures with regard to the devices in parks. In addition, it is extremely important to sensitize parents and children riders and users of devices in parks on the possible and extreme dangers of neglecting the set riding rules (Li, 2010).

Criteria for Selecting Ideal Solution

• Operational viability. It is ability and capacity to pay inspection and maintenance fees to manufacturers and to meet depreciation of devices costs, as well as, to pay for device handler equipment sensitization programs (Mintek Mobile Data Solutions, 2011).
• Capital cost. It is a value for replacing and maintaining electrical systems, depreciating devices, as well as redesigning other equipments, especially those used by children.
• Opportunity cost of safety programs. These are positive and negative impacts on implementing weekly instructive programs for children and parents in the parks.
• Future capacity for expansion to invest in more devices and attract more children.

Recommendations

Based on the above criteria, it is notable that the aforementioned ideal solution is the only definite way to ensure and guarantee safety in amusement rides and devices, especially for young users. Sensitization of the riders, children, parents, as well as the manufacturers of the amusement rides and devices is imperative, so that all the parties involved in manufacturing, operating/handling and using these facilities are better informed of the benefits and potential dangers of not adhering to the stipulated standards of safety.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is imperative for amusement parks to adopt the above-suggested ideal solution to avoid possible dangers and problems mentioned in this report. This will save children's lives, as well as the parks from lawsuits that are usually caused by negligence either by the manufacturers or unqualified employees or handlers.