Below is a summary of meeting notes by Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Inspector David Kivlin at the Fairgrounds Joint Advisory Committee (FJAC) meeting in December 2024. The notes detail recent incidents with amusement devices and safety issues of concern. Also included on this page are details of the HSE’s planned work for 2025/2026.

HSE update December 2024

1. Super Trooper incident.

HSE media informed of an incident in Lincolnshire regarding a Super Trooper ride, which required people to be rescued.

HSE contacted the ride controller, and they informed HSE that they had identified a fault with a ram, and that the ram was being sent back to the manufacturer for further investigation / repair.

ADIPS confirmed that there were 10 Super Trooper devices in the UK, and that 5 came from the same manufacture (including the incident device).

HSE have already had contact with an IB who covers three of these rides in the UK and they have been re-inspected. Information also provided to the final ride controller (same DR) regarding the issue.

The investigation is ongoing and HSE will provide further feedback in due course.

2. Coaster incident – employee struck by train.

HSE have informed of another incident involving a roller coaster where an employee was struck on the head by the coaster as he retrieved a cap which had been lost by a member of the public on the ride. The IP was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital.

3. Toxic Ride incident in Scotland

HSE reported that they had received a report of a member of staff suffering significant injuries to their lower limb, whilst working on a Toxic ride in Scotland.

This is the second similar incident on the same device, following an incident last year where a member of the public had several toes amputated when the platform under the main device lowered.

The investigation is ongoing and HSE will provide further feedback in due course.

4. Crazy Frog incident – Brockwell Park

HSE reported that there had been a serious incident at Brockwell Park in London, which was the scene of a passenger ejection in 2019.

Primacy for the investigation has now been passed to HSE and work has commenced at HSE Science Division, who are examining the ride.

Information note has now been published detailing inspection requirements.

5. Train derailment – South-East England

Train derailment on a wooden coaster. No injuries reported but significant damage to the track and the adjoining walkways etc.

Causation still being investigated, but video footage seems to show that the metal track “strip” which is fixed to a packing timber had “curled up” before becoming snagged on the underside of the carriage as it passed over it.

Ongoing investigation but need to consider the following.

•              Integrity of packing timber i.e., is it rotten.

•              Integrity of the means of fixing the metal track “strip” to the packing timber underneath

•              The positioning of the fixings on the metal track “strip” including replacement fixing points and whether this has affected the integrity of strip and led to splitting etc.

Consideration needs to also be given to track inspection including frequency, scope of inspection and acceptance criteria.

6. Miami Trip ejection

Incident occurred at Nottingham Goose Fair on 4th October 2024 involving a Miami Trip ride.

It has been reported that the rider came out of the ride during the ride’s operation. The ride operator stopped the ride immediately and an investigation into the cause was conducted by an ADIPS engineer who found an issue with the secondary lock bar at the rear of the ride.

The report from the ADIPS IB has been passed to HSE who intend to visit the device for further investigations and HSE will provide further feedback in due course.

7. Inflatable play park issues.

HSE provided an update to the FJAC regarding an incident at an inflatable play park. HSE reported that they had been assisting a Local Authority with their investigation, including a site visit, which had identified several safety critical issues i.e., entrapment risks, containment issues.

A review of the paperwork manual and other design paperwork was not sufficient to confirm the basis of safety of the installation. Enforcement action has been taken by the LA for this installation, but further issues are likely to be present at other sites.

HSE will be taking this matter forward and there is a possibility that further work will be planned with LAs moving into 2025/2026.

HSE also currently considering writing to WG9 committee at BSi to ask that consideration is given to the production of a BS standard for these types of devices. Discussions across the industry indicate that the application of the PUI process to these types of installations would be significantly easier with a sound benchmark i.e., a British standard.

8. Total Wipeout – fatality

HSE are currently investigating an incident where a member of the public died following an incident on a total wipeout device.

The investigation is ongoing and HSE will provide further feedback in due course.

9. Water on walker incident/guidance and ETIS 7 guidance

These documents will be published on the HSE website shortly as part of a wider revision of HSE’s online information for the fairground and entertainment industry.

HSE to update.

HSE plan of work 2025/2026

The following areas will be covered in 2025/2026.

1. Safe systems of work for entry into dangerous areas (this work will cover fixed sites HSE did not visit this year, but will also extend to larger travelling rides where the same risk exists i.e., crazy mouse coasters)

2. Targeted rides with known issues

a.            Round Ups (safe speed monitoring)

b.            Crazy Frogs (restraint system/carriage securing pins/rod and clevis arrangement/bounce function/NDT)

c.             Star Flyers (restrain system and safe height monitoring)

d.            Twists (restraint systems/r.p.m of device/operational checks)

e.            Miami Trips (restraint system/access to dangerous part)

f.             Tagada (structural integrity and operation)

g.            High speed rides (control systems and restraint monitoring)

3. A targeted programme of visits to look at Superstar rides that were previously been PN’d in 2003 to ensure that they are still being operated and inspected in line with the PN schedule

4.  Assess access to “shear traps” on “Toxic” and other similar rides that feature a drop platform.

5.  Wooden coasters following a train derailment in Southeast England (issue relates to track maintenance and inspection)

6. Big Wheels – looking specifically at devices manufactured in Czech Rep and Turkey following intelligence from industry stakeholders.

7. General electrical safety issues (this is consistently the leading issue of enforcement action)

8. Operator competence and training (reoccurring issue across all industry sectors)

9. Planned preventative maintenance activities (introducing the concepts set out in the BS EN 14200 – Machinery Maintenance).