By Carl Hagemann, General Manager, ADIPS

Public confidence in the safety of rides is integral to the success of theme parks and fairgrounds.

“With safety at the heart of all attractions, it’s vital to promote a facility’s ‘culture of safety’ to guests,” says IAAPA, the global association for the industry, of which ADIPS is a member. “This transparent devotion and the commitment to keeping visitors safe is important as guests return to attractions following the pandemic.”

We know that theme parks and fairgrounds are relatively safe when compared with other leisure activities and, in fact, represent some of the safest leisure activities of all. However, when serious incidents do occur, they generate widespread media coverage because they resonate with anyone who attends and enjoys parks and fairgrounds. The incidents are often dramatic events, which make them newsworthy and helps to explain why the safety of amusements is in the public consciousness. It is also why, then, that demonstrating safety standards can be an effective way for a park to assure customers and ultimately win more business.

This year, ADIPS is launching a number of initiatives to help those in the amusements industry to promote safety in on their parks and fairgrounds, including a public-facing scheme called Your Ride Checker©. The scheme kicks off this month (from August 01) and I just want to give you the low-down here on how it will work.

Ride maintenance and safety is extremely important and all parks and fairgrounds in the UK are subject to regular checks. Inspection bodies (IBs) on behalf of ADIPS carry out four types of inspection that fall into two categories – pre-use inspections and the in-service annual inspection.

When an amusement device is inspected and certified under ADIPS, the operator is issued with a Declaration of Operational Compliance (DOC), which is similar in concept to a car’s MOT, confirming all relevant inspections have been satisfactorily completed and the ride has been certified as safe to operate until the expiry date on the DOC.

All registered amusement devices and DOCs are registered in the ADIPS central database of amusement devices, and to search for a DOC you need the device’s ADIPS ID number.

From August 2023, operators of amusement parks and fairgrounds will be able to demonstrate to customers that their rides are inspected and certified as safe to use by signing up to the Your Ride Checker© sticker scheme. The Your Ride Checker© stickers are designed to be posted in public view, on amusement devices or at park and fairground entrances or information hubs, and carry QR codes that enable the customer to scan and check that the ride owner or controller has the necessary ADIPS DOC. It’s a simple and effective way to give members of the public access to information on ride safety and it can be a part of an operator’s action plan to inform customers and win their confidence.

How does it work?

• To get their stickers, ride operators go online to the special application page on the ADIPS website – https://adips.co.uk/controllers-membership – and complete their application form. Instructions are given.
• Once completed, you will get their unique Controller ID number. This number is important as it is theirs for life.
• To complete their application, they will need information to hand before they apply. The simple information needed is the legal owner’s full name, address and contact details and, of course, all of the Device ID numbers of the devices on their park.
• We aim to get the stickers posted out within one month of an application.

We know that with the necessary safety checks and regular maintenance, the chances of a safety breach with an amusement device are slim. Some years ago, it was quoted that the probability of someone being injured on a theme park ride, for example, was one in 24 million. However, the amusements industry is not complacent, in my view, and I know from speaking to managers and owners that safety standards remain a core focus of strategy and operations for parks and fairgrounds in the UK.

The ADIPS Your Ride Checker© scheme will help our industry provide customers with that added confidence and assurance. It will help parks and fairgrounds communicate an important message – that their rides are regularly inspected and passed as safe to use.

If you would like more information about the Your Ride Checker scheme, please email office@adips.co.uk