News – Page 4 – Kathryn Woodcock, PhD CCPE ICAE PEng

April 2022 Ride Report Recap

In April 2022, media reports covered eight (8) recordable ride accidents, exposing 24 patrons, including one fatal injury. Three (3) of the cases described operator misoperation, three (3) cases described defective equipment including potential lack of or ineffective maintenance, and two (2) reports did not provide enough information to know what type of event had preceded the injury.

In the month, there were also six (6) headlines about ride stoppages and rider evacuations, four (4) worker injuries during operation or maintenance. Three (3) reports covered new litigation about prior guest injuries, and one (1) report involving a worker claiming damages for a hand amputation, and one fatal injury in a facility parking lot. There was also one report (1) about the closure of a facility that referenced a past fatal derailment.

I am not an ‘ADA guest’

This three part article is online in InPark Magazine and in print.

March 2022 Ride Report Recap

In March 2022, media reports covered six (6) recordable ride accidents, three of which involved a fatal injury. These included three (3) malfunctions involving loss of structural integrity of the device, two (2) riders ejected from a ride in motion, one without restraint devices and one with restraint devices that did not retain the rider in the seat, and one (1) injury sustained by a rider moved by ride forces.

In the month, there were also three (3) headlines about rider evacuations, a fatal worker injury, an unintended contact during ride testing, and a rider losing momentum during a waterslide experience and crawling to an evacuation point. Reports also revisited a case in previous periods arising out of settlement in the litigation for the cases.

February 2022 Ride Report Recap

In February 2022, media reports covered five (5) recordable ride accidents, including one derailment (malfunction), two fall events (one involving multiple people), one patron encroachment on closed attraction, and one exposure to chemical vapour.

In the month, there were also two (2) headlines about stranded riders, and multiple injuries sustained in a structure fire, both outside of scope of ride accidents. Reports also revisited two cases in previous periods arising out of settlement in the litigation for the cases.

January 2022 Ride Report Recap

In January 2022, media reports covered two (2) recordable ride accidents, and two (2) headlines that were outside the scope of the recording framework.

December 2021 Ride Report Recap

In December 2021, media reports covered six (6) recordable events plus four (4) headlines about non-recordable events.

November 2021 Ride Report Recap

Five (5) ride accidents were reported in the month of November 2021, with additional coverage of five occurrences in prior periods, and two reports out of scope for the RRRR database but which may be of interest.

October 2021 Ride Report Recap

Despite increasing business volumes as the industry recovers from pandemic closures, the “summer” season in the northern hemisphere has concluded, and there were few media reports about ride accidents. Just four (4) new cases were reported, along with updates on a few previous cases.

3D People!

My first conference in over a year and a half has successfully concluded! IAAPA met in Barcelona for the first conference since November 2019, after converting all 2020 and summer 2021 to virtual events. It was wonderful to see three-dimensional, live people (!) discussing design, management and recovery, and accessibility topics, among others.

September 2021 Ride Report Recap

s amusement attraction attendance increases the number of people exposed to rides, we expect the number of media reports to increase. As of the last update, there were four (4) included reports, plus three (3) previously un-recapped reports from prior periods and one report of an excluded event type.