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Roller coasters are about the safest rides that
you will find in any amusement park. Think about it... if you
spent millions of dollars on an investment like a roller coaster, wouldn't
you give it the best of care- especially if your livelihood
depended on it working properly and not hurting anyone? Well, of course. An amusement park cannot
simply pack up and move to another state if you get injured, so
you can see why their reputation is extremely valuable and worth
protecting at all costs. We're going to omit any reference to
carnivals and traveling shows for the purposes of this section.
This is not to say that the rest of the rides in
the park aren't safe, or as safe, but let's face
it...some roller coaster annual maintenance budgets could easily
be used to purchase an entire new thrill ride. One of the steel
coasters I used to work on back in 1990 had an annual budget of
clear over a hundred thousand dollars, and many large coasters
greatly exceed that amount today. You have to take into
consideration that every machine having moving parts - which is
what a roller coaster technically is - is prone to wear and
tear, just like you always seem to have something go wrong with
your car. Right?
Alright, so here's the thing... unlike your car,
a roller coaster - as well as every ride at an amusement park -
is inspected every single day before it is allowed to carry
passengers. Highly experienced and trained maintenance personnel
watch very carefully and work very diligently to ensure that all
of the amusement ride equipment is in top mechanical and
electrical condition every day. Throughout the winter, amusement
rides don't just have a tarp thrown over them and the main
electrical disconnect shut off, but each ride is completely
disassembled and subsequently overhauled by mechanics,
electricians and carpenters who work at the park full time all
year round. This overhaul - or "Rehab" process is very detailed
and meticulous, and is often very expensive... |
| In this
section, I hope to teach you a little bit about
what is involved with various aspects of amusement ride safety,
some of which deals particularly with roller coasters. I have plenty
of interesting photos to give you a
behind-the-scenes look at how rides are manufactured,
maintained, inspected and operated. Soon I will be
adding additional never-before seen photos and
information to this site, so check back for updates.
You have certain
obligations and responsibilities while you're
having the time of your life at
the amusement park. Please pass on the tips
and safety information that I give you in this section.
Even
though according to industry statistics you have little chance of
being injured while visiting your local amusement park
resulting from any sort of equipment failure, you do
still run the risk of being injured as a result of other
factors indicated in this section.
Let's learn about some of the
different aspects of Amusement Ride Safety: |
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THE LAW:
Your responsibilities while at an amusement park.
THE LAW: The ASTM F-24
regulations pertaining to amusement ride saftey.
UNEXPECTED
HAZARDS: Being able to spot unsafe park guests and park
employees.
SAFETY
INSPECTIONS: The amusement ride "daily inspection" process.
ANNUAL REHAB:
A photo tour explaining the Roller Coaster rehab process.
HOW IT
WORKS: A section (under revision) that digs into the
following topics:
- Roller Coaster Block Safety
Systems
- Passenger Restraint
Mechanisms
- Amusement Ride Construction
- Roller Coaster Propulsion
- Roller Coaster Safety Wheels
- Wooden Roller Coaster
Construction
- Roller Coaster Anti-Rollback
Devices
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