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Fl Inspectors Police Carnival, Fair Rides To Ensure Safety

November 21, 2005

This week, tens of thousands of children and adults will climb aboard carnival rides at Space Coast State Fair in Cocoa, spiraling and spinning and soaring at high speeds. But are these rides dangerous? Statistically speaking, no.

The Outdoor Amusement Business Association estimates more than 250 million people ride thrill machines at carnivals, festivals and fairs each year. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates about 2,500 ride-related injuries resulted in emergency room visits last year, fewer per-capita than bicycling, softball and other mundane activities.

'I think there's an inherent risk in any thrill ride,' said Rob Jacobs, chief of the Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection, which inspects rides at carnivals, festivals and fairs. 'Use common sense and follow instructions. If you just got out of the hospital with brain surgery, I don't think you want to ride one of these rides.'

The Tallahassee-based bureau's 15 inspectors also scrutinize attractions at Florida's 180 permanent parks, including Andretti Thrill Park in Melbourne, twice per year. Giant parks such as Walt Disney World, Epcot and others that employ more than 1,000 workers and have in-house safety departments are exempt from state inspection.

Every time a carnival sets up at a new location, state inspectors must check each ride before it can open to the public. An inspector arrived last week in Cocoa and looked at all 38 Space Coast State Fair mechanical rides in time for the opening. The result? All rides passed and received neon-green inspection stickers, save Orbiter, a rotating machine that elevates and spins riders in a circle. Carnival workers accidentally damaged Orbiter's hydraulic pump while performing maintenance work, and the ride was closed Thursday. A new pump arrived Friday morning. Orbiter was inspected and reopened that day.

Statistics aside, carnival rides are not immune from bloody, life-threatening accidents. In March, a 21-year-old woman suffered a broken jaw and lost teeth when the 'boat' she was riding in slammed into a wall on the Niagara Falls water ride at the Miami-Dade County Fair. A 14-year-old fellow passenger suffered neck and back injuries. Last summer at the same fair, three people flew out of the Gravitron after a bolt broke. One of the victims, a 16-year-old girl, suffered brain damage. State officials revised their Gravitron inspection methods afterward. The ride failed because of poor maintenance, Jacobs said.

Some people think the ride inspection system is too expensive in Florida. David Starkey is vice president of Myers International Midways, the Gibsonton owner-operator of the Cocoa fair rides. 'Every time you move a piece of equipment, you need an itinerary 14 days in advance. (Florida's) the only state I know of that inspects every time you set up,' Starkey said. He estimated his company spends more than $40,000 per year on Florida inspections and registration. '(The system's) for-profit. It's a money-making operation.'

On Tuesday afternoon, before the fair opened, ride inspector Mark Gonzalez acquainted himself with the Orient Express, a mini-coaster that speeds riders inside a Chinese dragon train over a series of curves and hills. Hands covered in black grease, Gonzalez began by inching along the red tube steel track, peering and yanking at joints, locking pins, 24 supporting jack stands and both drive motors that propel the train. 'I'm checking the structural integrity of the motor mount, structural integrity of the tracks,' he said as he worked. 'When we get to the car, it gets a lot more in-depth- the couplers between the cars; we do lap restraints.'

After inspecting the track and the seven-car train, Gonzalez asked an operator to fire up the Orient Express. Looking for signs of mechanical maladies, Gonzalez watched the empty train circle the track. 'It's in great shape. I see no problems whatsoever,' Gonzalez declared after 10 to 15 minutes of inspection. Elsewhere on the Cocoa Expo grounds, Gonzalez noted flaws: pin keys needed to be locked on the braces beneath the Alpine Bobs walkway; a water-pressure gauge required repair for a fun house fire sprinkler system; electrical service was not operational at Barrel of Monkeys, delaying inspection. Those glitches were fixed. Most carnival companies travel prepared for repairs, many of which are completed in minutes.

'If it's a major problem, it may take us an hour, hour and a half,' said Joe Hickox, a Myers International Midways ride foreman. 'But it really doesn't matter what it is. We can get it fixed and we will get it fixed before the show opens. 'We've got an entire shop trailer, a portable steel shop that goes with us everywhere. It's got welders, plasma cutters, anything we could possibly need to fix anything with metal.'

Since October 1995, Myers International Midways has had 10 'reportable accidents,' Jacobs said. That means the victim was taken to a hospital. 'There's nothing serious, bumped heads, bruises, cut lips and things like that. None of them resulted in any kind of violation,' he said. A violation is documented if investigators determine an accident was caused by ride owner-operator negligence. The company's most recent incident was a Ferris wheel mishap in February at the Collier County Fair, records show. A 44-year-old woman and 10-year-old girl suffered bruised legs and knees when their car unexpectedly moved while they were unloading, Jacobs said.

First-offense penalties for safety violations range from warning letters to fines of $2,500 per day, per ride. State ride inspectors do not check inflatable rides, rock-climbing walls, petting zoos or most bungee-cord-powered rides, only mechanical contraptions. Florida's 220-plus traveling carnival companies must secure annual permits and new on-site inspections every time they set up a ride at a new location. 'If they move across the street next week, we'll go across the street to check them all over again,' Gonzalez said. More than 250 million people ride carnival thrill machines across the U.S. every year. About 2,500 are typically treated in emergency rooms for ride injuries.