Safety of Florida's
thrill rides in hands of amusement parks
BY DONNA BALANCIA - FLORIDA TODAY
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/NEWS01/511300374/0/NEWS06
At Busch Gardens Tampa
Bay, the screams went quiet on SheiKra on Oct. 14, when
Florida's tallest roller coaster shut itself down,
stranding as many as 24 passengers at the brink of a
200-foot drop for nearly an hour. A rescue trolley
evacuated them, and the ride later was deemed safe.
At Disney-MGM Studios, a 16-year-old British girl
collapsed from a heart attack in July after repeatedly
riding the Tower of Terror, which drops riders in pitch
darkness in a simulated elevator failure. In 2002, a
47-year-old woman suffered "anxiety and claustrophobia,
atrial fibulation" on the 13-story ride with the state's
strongest downward acceleration, a state list of park
incidents shows.
At Universal Studios, three passengers within four
months in 2002 reported back pain, neck pain and a
fractured back after seeking thrills on the Ripsaw Falls
water-flume ride. They ranged in age from 36 to 62.
Incidents like those, compounded by two highly
publicized deaths at Disney-owned parks this past
summer, have raised questions about whether the state
should begin inspecting and testing theme park rides the
way California does.
Florida regulates ride safety for carnivals and
fairs. But big theme parks like Walt Disney World,
SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Studios are exempt from
state inspections and oversight.
Instead, they abide by a written agreement known as a
"memorandum of understanding" with the Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It
calls for the parks to inspect themselves, report
mishaps to the state and make an annual presentation on
safety issues.
And all of the major theme parks employ engineers and
maintenance crews that inspect and repair rides, records
show.
It's a good system, operators say.
"We have a team of dedicated professionals, and each
team is assigned to a coaster, spending a minimum of
four hours a day -- well before guests arrive --
inspecting those rides," said Gerard Hoeppner, a
spokesman for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. "They walk every
inch of the rides. We have redundant safety systems,
video inspection and computer inspections. I can't
stress enough that safety is a No. 1 priority."
A FLORIDA TODAY/WKMG-Local 6 examination found that
the motion and G-forces on some of the region's
signature roller coasters are stronger than on the space
shuttle, but not sustained enough to violate industry
standards.
But a review of incident reports and annual state
safety meeting minutes from the past four years revealed
63 incidents involving illness, injuries or death over
the past four years on various rides.
Documents obtained under the state's public records
law show:
- Two cases that made news in 2005. In June, Daudi
Bamuwamye, a 4-year-old boy from Philadelphia, died on
the Mission: Space ride at Epcot Center. A heart
condition caused his death, according to the Orange
County medical examiner. In August, Jerra Kirby, a
12-year-old from Newport News, Va., collapsed at Typhoon
Lagoon and died. Her death also was attributed to a
heart condition.
Nine other reports of fainting, chest pains or
severe nausea on Mission: Space since 2003.
Seventeen reports of injuries or illness at water
parks. They include broken limbs from collisions and
falls, as well as likely coincidences, such as strokes
or seizures suffered while at the park.
No incidents were reported by SeaWorld between 2002
and 2005.
At their annual meetings, state officials and the
park operators have concluded their discussions of
mishaps by blaming most accidents on "patron error,"
meeting minutes show.
State clamps down
Activist-mom Kathy Fackler often wishes she and her
son had not ridden on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
roller coaster one day in 1998. Her son's foot was
crushed between the car and a platform as he was getting
off the ride at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. Part of
his foot had to be amputated.
Fackler, a former computer programmer and a homemaker
in La Jolla, Calif., said Disneyland's analysis found
they had no responsibility for the accident because her
son stuck his foot out -- patron error.
Since then, Fackler has made it her business to
ensure that other parents can judge the risks by
reviewing accidents and reports on state-inspected rides
in California.
"The standard lap bar used on many of these rides is
a concern of mine," she said. "When you bring a young
child on a ride, you pull down the bar. Of course, it
fits fine across your lap. But it does not fit across a
child's lap."
Fackler lobbied for state legislation passed in
California in 1999 that called for the Division of
Industrial Relations to inspect and regulate rides at
big parks such as Disneyland and Six Flags. She says
Florida needs reforms, too.
"There is no system of getting specific information
out on the hazards," she said. "I'm sure that parents
want to know about accidents that happened on rides
their children are going on."
Now, state inspectors examine maintenance reports;
review safety procedures and training; observe the ride
in action; and review accident and death reports.
Harold Hudson, an amusement ride engineer and
industry consultant based in Southlake, Texas, sees
advantages and some pitfalls to state inspections.
"They have total control over the process. They can
spend a week looking at one ride if they want. It's
expensive," Hudson said. "Some people question the value
added. I think it gives the public more confidence. It
doesn't necessarily mean the rides are more safe."
Against regulation
Not everyone believes state regulation would help in
Florida.
"If you impose a government standard, you can really
lower the standards," said state Sen. Bill Posey,
R-Rockledge. "Right now, they're required to do whatever
it takes to treat invitees with the highest level of
safety. If you establish standards, as long as they can
assure they're at that level, that's their only
obligation for safety. And if there's an opportunity
that would dictate they could do more, they wouldn't be
obligated to do it. And they'd have a good defense that
they met the state standards, and whatever happens,
happens."
Posey said there are no good reasons to enact
mandatory inspections and public reports.
"If you look at the millions of people who pass
through the theme parks and how so few are hurt, it's
remarkable," he said. "So why create a thousand new
bureaucrats to oversee the theme parks? If it got out
that the theme parks did not treat their customers to
the safest extent humanly possible, their business would
be wrecked."
Likewise, Cocoa-based lobbyist Guy Spearman said
people should feel comfortable with corporate safety
measures.
"Is there something wrong with self-regulation?"
asked Spearman, who represents Anheuser-Busch, owner of
SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. "Theme parks are in a fixed
location. They don't change rides and locations from
week to week. There is a memorandum of understanding,
and that's a legal document."
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