the stinger report

31/8/06

“Theme Park – An Endangered Species?” (#500)

The Reality of the Current Attraction Safety Record

Stinger REPORT Skinny!

(30/07/06) Over a period of three months at the height of the 2006 theme park season, 20 incidents are noted. The scare that the attractions industry needs to address a growing spate of Rider Misadventures and more importantly Mechanical Failures, is chronicled in the Stinger. The issues of the future life expectancy of the sector itself are reviewed as the implications that extreme rides may bring more trouble than they’re worth!

Main TOPIC:

The difficulties of running a theme park in the 21st Century are already Herculean. The need to maximize revenue is drawn against fickle attendance, and mounting maintenance constraints. While you factor in the consideration of security implications, and a constant need for expensive new attractions, it becomes apparent that this industry could turn the strongest man grey before his time. But recent developments could pale all these worries and make park operators seriously concerned about the worth of opening their doors!

It has been reported that over 300 million guests attended theme parks worldwide during 2005 (this placed in perspective with over 700 million air passengers in North America alone). With the theme park industry looking at over 100 new attractions scheduled or opened during that same year. Walt Disney Company, celebrating its 50th anniversary at the Anaheim park and saw guest attendance during 2004 of over 13 million; a vast number of visitors and with this comes a vast concern.

According to estimates by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than 10,000 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for amusement ride-related injuries in 1999, an increase of 35% since 1993 – at the time these figures were contested by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), and were a fundamental reason for the collection of the industry’s own data to refute such reports.

No matter the exact number, insurance and operational premiums have been strongly affected of late. The impact of Katrina clean-up on theme park premiums, caused one operator to abandon their venue operation in the area (Six Flags) compounded by high-profile incidents on the more expensive high-physicality rides have fathered a climate of difficulties. Fun Park Liability Insurance and Theme Park Liability Insurance greatly raised on previous years to a point of no return.

Amusement Parks and State Fairs have seen their Operator Liability Insurance on key attractions greatly impacted. The Insurance industry shocked by a rapid increase in incidents taking place on Inflatable Rides internationally. This has affected the way that these venues entertain their audiences.

One of the core worrying factors has been the suspicion by observers that there is a propensity for the new style of attractions to induce life-threatening Undiagnosed Condition (UC) in guests. UC's that are nearly impossible to spot before riding; it has been reported that finding an underlying condition can take as long as five years for current medical procedure.

The question has to be asked -- can the rider survive the new Extreme rides? Beyond UC's, recent health research carried out (Stinger #468) suggested that increased heart fibrillation and stress was a common factor in continuous exposure to roller coasters - the research study opening up the market to the possibility of greater health scrutiny.

The safety element has been compounded by the health and fitness of the current venue guest. The percentile measurements of the late 70's and 80's rider bear no resemblance to the modern attraction rider. Extreme lengths are now taken to accommodate their changed body profiles.

New rides in operation take into account something known as the 'Independent Guest Body Style'. The roller coaster BatWing, at Six Flags America, uses a unique harness arrangement supported by over 1,000 different safety sensors. The unique prone riding position making this multi-million dollar attraction one of the most extreme in ride profiles ever built, but also one of the safest in harness alignment. The unique riding position offering new variables that only through continuous operation can test the prone 4.5 maximum g-loading on the rider.

No matter the computer modeling, actual operation throws up the reality of rider reaction. New technology rides such as Mission: Space, BatWing and RoboCoaster (along with many others) with unique physicality and riding position, travel the cutting edge of guest experience.

The idea that such rider seating arrangements, as used in BatWing, will become the norm has sent ripples through the industry, the possibility that would have seen a joke previously has become not so funny that each rider will have to complete a heath certificate before they can ride - protecting the operator from liability of the known and unknown. The future insurance premiums forcing new and restrictive precaution on ride operators - the 'this high to ride' notice the least restriction of our riders.

What Could this all Mean:

The cold, hard reality of a problem with the fundamentals of the visitor attraction market became evident in the 2006 Season high period. As prophesied in the 2005 Stinger feature on the application of ride technology and safety monitoring (see Stinger #468), the issue of an ever-increasing need for maintenance may have been beyond the restraints of the operation business.

The 2006 season has been plagued by an overwhelming number of mechanical incidents affecting rides across the globe. Based on compiled data from Stinger sources, the roll call reads as follows:

Date: 16 May 2006	Location: Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, Norfolk, UK	Injured: 17 stranded, one hospitalized
Incident: The ‘Evolution’ roller coaster at the Yarmouth venue came to an emergency halt, suspending the cars 25 meters. The emergency services and park officials took 6 minutes to extract the riders. The Emergency Stop (E-Stop) resulted in neck injuries to one female rider
Suspected Cause: The ride was being investigated concerning what mechanical failure caused the E-Stop.

Date: 16 May 2006	Location: Gulliver’s, Milton Keynes, UK	Injured: One fatality
Incident: An employee of the facility rode the miniature railway ride performing claimed mechanical duties, and was decapitated when the train he was riding entered the attractions tunnel with his head above the carriage.
Suspected Cause: The reason for why an employee was to carry out such hazard work that led to this rider misadventure has raised concerns on management.

Date: 21 May 2006	Location: Valleyfair, Minnesota, USA	Injured: 17 injuries
Incident: The ‘Wild Things’ roller coaster performed an E-Stop after the rear car on the coaster separated from the others at the slow down for the station stop on the coaster – the rear car ending tipped slightly on its side. It was suspected that some guests declined medical attention so the injuries may have been higher.
Suspected Cause: The mechanical failure that caused the incident was yet to be revealed by the park.

Date: 27 June 2006	Location: LotteWorld, Seoul, South Korea	Injured: One hospitalized
Incident: A child riding one of the small attractions within the park was hit on the head by falling debris from the roof. The debris was part of the roof and theming material and caused the individual to be taken to hospital with minor injuries to her head.
Suspected Cause: The facilities disrepair has been blamed by investigators for the mechanical failure of the roof covering.

Date: 29 June 2006	Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando, USA	Injured: One fatality
Incident: The Disney ‘Rock ‘n’ Roller’ indoor roller coaster which reaches speeds to 57mph (maximum 5 g-loading) was suspended when a 12 year old boy lost consciousness on the ride, and was hospitalized failing to be revived at the scene and dying soon after. At this time the seventh person to die at WDW over the last 18 months (compared to two during the same period last year).
Suspected Cause: The park was claiming that the boy had a pre-existing medical condition and this was rider misadventure.

Date: 2 July 2006	Location: Fun Spot Park, Angola, USA	Injured: 12 stranded, Five hospitalized
Incident: The ‘Afterburner’ roller coaster performed an E-Stop leaving riders stranded upside down 50 feet in the air. The emergency services took 45 minutes to extract the riders having to use a ladder truck to push the coasters cars to an upright position after park officials failed to move the ride.
Suspected Cause: The ride was claimed to have suffered a malfunction with the cable launching the cars came off the pulley causing the mechanical failure.

Date: 6 July 2006	Location: Parc Asterix, Paris, France	Injured: One fatality
Incident: A boy with a group of 100, was riding the ‘La Descente du Styx’ water attraction stood up in the boat as it reached the end and fell when the boat collided gently with another boat. The boy was pulled under the water by the artificial waves of the attraction, a fruitless attempt to extract him from the lake was made for 20 minutes until his body was found and pronounced dead.
Suspected Cause: The group organizer claims that there was a supervisor with the group, but the accident is being treated as rider misadventure.

Date: 9 July 2006	Location: Paramount’s Kings Island, Cincinnati, USA	Injured: 27 hospitalized
Incident: The parks ‘Son of Beast’ roller coaster which reaches speeds of 78mph and more than 7,000 feet long performed an E-Stop just before reaching the loading area. The riders reported neck and chest injuries from the sudden deceleration, and all were rushed to a local hospital.
Suspected Cause: The ride inspection after the incident reported cracked and splintered timbers discovered that could have caused the mechanical failure.

Date: 9 July 2006	Location: Hinchley’s Con & Clover Carnival, USA	Injured: Two hospitalized
Incident: The carnivals ‘Zipper’ attraction was working normally when two female riders fell 25 feet from the ride. The 1968 designed traveling attraction is based on an oval frame with free flipping cars holding two riders. The ride design is infamous for the 1978 US Government warning on riding after four deaths due to a design flaw in the door mechanism.
Suspected Cause: The riders were thrown from their car when the door swung open, a mechanical failure is being investigated

10.

Date: 13 July 2006	Location: LotteWorld, Seoul, South Korea	Injured: 20 stranded
Incident: The ‘Comet Express’ space themed indoor roller coaster stranded riders inside a tunnel for 10 minutes. The ride was first installed in 1995 and is part of the LotteWorld series of theme park attractions.
Suspected Cause: LotteWorld spokesperson stated the mechanical failure was due to a temporary power outage that did not warrant the starting of the emergency power plant.

11.

Date: 15 July 2006	Location: Liseberg Park, Goteborg, Sweden	Injured: 20 hospitalized
Incident: The parks coaster was fully operational when a train carrying 20 riders came loose and rolled backwards into another train that was in the station unloading. The steel coaster was built in 1987 and is Sweden’s recorded largest attraction reaching speeds of up to 80kmph.
Suspected Cause: The Liseberg spokesperson stated the accident was due to mechanical failure of the lift chain.

12.

Date: 15 July 2006	Location: Colorado Spring Carnival, USA	Injured: Four hospitalized
Incident: The carnival ride ‘Hi Roller’ that carries one train carrying guests backwards and forwards within an inner rail single loop which travels at speeds up to 50mph, performed an E-Stop in mid ride. The ride was so damaged that emergency services had to use cutting equipment to extract the riders.
Suspected Cause: Investigators stated a bolt came loose dropping the track and causing a mechanical failure.

13.

Date: 20 July 2006	Location: Alton Towers, North Staffs, UK	Injured: 29 injured, Four hospitalized
Incident: The parks ‘Runaway Mine’ train coaster was in operation when the two front cars of the train separated from the rear cars rolling backwards colliding with them. The ride was first installed in 1992, this incident involved 25 riders treated at the park for cuts and bruises, while four suffered more serious injuries.
Suspected Cause: The separation of the coaster cars is being investigated regarding the mechanical failure of the ride.

14.

Date: 22 July 2006	Location: AdventureLand, Iowa, USA	Injured: One hospitalized
Incident: The parks ’Tornado’ roller coaster was in operation when a girl riding the coaster was struck on the head by a loose board. The ride returned the car to the station where the rider struck was taken to hospital (not by emergency team) and has remained in a serious condition.
Suspected Cause: Investigators stated the board was left after the last maintenance inspection and was not a part of the attraction, causing mechanical failure of the ride process.

15.

Date: 23 July 2006	Location: Riverside Park, County Durham, Ireland	Injured: 13 injured, Two fatalities
Incident: The outdoor inflatable structure attraction called ‘Dreamscape’ was lifted 30ft by wind, and drifted for 40metres with a number of guests inside. The attraction was cut open by those first on the scene and those inside extracted where the injuries and fatalities were discovered.
Suspected Cause: Investigation is looking at the mechanical failure of the restraints, and or the incorrect operation of securing devices.

16.

Date: 24 July 2006	Location: Ionia Free Fair, Michigan, USA	Injured: One fatality
Incident: The ‘Fireball’ flat rotating attraction was operating normally when the eight-year-old boy collapsed after riding it and was later pronounced dead. The ride was deemed to be operating normally and was reopened, this being the first fatality in the fairs 90-year history.
Suspected Cause: State officers revealed that the rider had a pre-existing heart condition and his death was caused by rider misadventure.

17.

Date: 25 July 2006	Location: Lakeside Park, Lakeside, USA	Injured: 10 stranded, Three hospitalized
Incident: The parks ‘Cyclone’ attraction was running when it performed an E-Stop stranding riders for over 60 minutes. The 66-year old coaster was reported to have had a wheel spark and screech before the emergency stop before an 80ft drop. The park operators were able to evacuate the stranded riders safely.
Suspected Cause: The park was looking into the mechanical failure that caused the E-Stop.

18.

Date: 26 July 2006	Location: Bush Gardens, Florida, USA	Injured: One fatality
Incident: The parks ‘Gwazi’ roller coaster with a 50mph and 3.5 maximum g-loading was operational when a male (57) rider stated experiences difficulties after riding the attraction and then collapsed. The park and called emergency services performed CPR to the rider and then hospitalized the individual dying later on.
Suspected Cause: Investigators had ruled out the ride stating the individual had a known heart condition, leading to rider misadventure claims.

19.

Date: 27 July 2006	Location: Six Flags, Georgia, USA	Injured: One fatality
Incident: The ‘Goliath’ roller coaster with a 70mph speed was operating normally when a male rider (45) was found to be unconscious when the cars returned to the loading bay. Park and emergency officials performed CPR on the guest who was then rushed to local emergency room where he was pronounced dead.
Suspected Cause: There was no faults found with the ride, an investigation suggest a pre-existing heart condition that lead to rider misadventure.

20.

Date: 30 July 2006	Location: Magic Springs Park, Arkansas, USA	Injured: One hospitalization
Incident: The parks ‘Twist and Shout’ roller coaster was operating when forces applied to the rider caused a female guest to be ejected from the ride car and fall 15 feet from the ride. The ride and restraints were being investigated by the park.
Suspected Cause: There was concern from ride inspectors that operators allowed a woman of ‘extreme size’ to ride so the restraint systems may have not given enough protection that caused the mechanical failure.

From the beginning of May to the end of July, the park industry experienced 20 international incidents, and the predominant factor is the ‘mechanical failure’ of the rides in operation. These failures are occurring on rides that the international trade associations, representing the operators, claim are the safest in the world! But this list offers stark reading – compounded by the growing incidents of rider misadventure – all factors that have generated the uncomfortable climate for park operation.

While this three-month period may speak for itself, the news media seemed surprising reassured. US Today ran a feature ‘Perspective, Please’, which looked at the situation in the theme park industry as example of ‘freak accidents’. Along with observations on modern visitation, the article cited over 175 million a year visit parks and ride attraction in North America. The word freak was used again in the article regarding ‘park rides kill fewer people than such freak things are igniting or melting nightwear, hot tap water and venomous spiders.’ This unusual link to bizarre incidents and a spike in ride incidents continued with a list of observations that placed news stories more prominent (over-hyped) to cover incidents, false reader perceptions of dangers and a higher tolerance for control for a false perception of a problem. The Stinger Report begs to differ with USA Today and hopes that they have not been adversely briefed.

While US Today may feel all is fine, the best example of the growing concern, reported last year that the maintenance resume needed to address the large audiences visiting theme parks international, is the Korean LotteWorld (as can be seen from the above list). The venue has suffered from under investment and poor management direction with the poor safety supervision that allowed a member of staff to commit suicide on a coaster; poor security and management that allowed injuries from a stampede; poor maintenance that resulted in head injuries from falling debris and a failure to operate correct emergency procedure trapping riders.

It is unknown what measures local and international association policing can exercise to ensure that these incidents are addressed before further injuries are caused. The AMOA exhibition in September announcing that it will be running two free seminars on Safety and Disaster Preparedness – an example that whatever some may feel there is a growing observation.

Finally, one amusement expert who is intimately familiar with park operations has reported, or predicted, that some smaller parks are simply being priced out of the insurance market altogether. But rather than close down, he suggested, the owners may decide to “take their chances” and go “bare” – that is, they may decide to operate without insurance. If and when an accident happens in an uninsured park, the injured party (or his survivors) may sue the park in question, only to learn there is no insurance policy in place, and therefore no money to collect. The park would close, but the industry as a whole would suffer irreparable harm to its good name. TSR strongly urges all park associations worldwide to police this situation, to ensure that members do carry proper insurance. After the fact will be too late.

Breaking Stinger News – One person who has started pulling out of the amusement business is pop supremo Michael Jackson. The performing legend’s recent fall from grace and acquittal regarding child molestation charges involved an extensive search of the performer’s property, including the infamous Neverland Ranch Estate. The ranch consisted of a onetime zoo and numerous carnival and theme park attractions for the private entertainment of guests and child recipients of the star’s charity.

The whole facility was placed up for auction following the collapse of the latest legal case against Mr. Jackson, and it was announced in July that the sale of the attractions had taken place for an estimated $500,000 though no details of the buyer(s) or their eventual home(s) was made. The Performer himself and his family have relocated to Dubai, the state offering them a higher level of anonymity and privacy than they could expect in the States, though sources suggest Mr. Jackson may continue his links to the amusement sector though support of one of the bigger theme park projects planned for the emerging nation’s tourist business.