Amusement rides can be dangerous

12.05.2024, on the territory of a mobile amusement park in Lida, Grodno region, a child born in 2013 fell from a height of about 3 meters from the passenger module of the "Skymaster" attraction (manufactured in 1994, operating organization –
LLC "Mariolandtrading"). The child was not secured by the attraction attendant with a safety device in the passenger module.

The accident with severe consequences has no causes related to the technical condition of the attraction. The causes of the incident were both the violation of the attraction's operating rules by the service personnel, and the violation of the rules for using the attraction by the passenger and the accompanying person (mother).

The investigation has identified the following violations of industrial safety requirements:

there was no proper control over the operation of the attraction in terms of preventing unauthorized (unpermitted) access of visitors to the attraction;

the attraction was serviced by an employee who did not have the appropriate profession and was not authorized to work as an attraction attendant, in addition to the attraction attendant;

the attraction's operating documentation was partially missing or did not comply with industrial safety requirements (there were no rules for using the attraction, the operating instructions for the attraction attendant did not contain clear requirements for the operating procedure).

For reference.

During the investigation, it was established that an expert in the field of industrial safety of the Grodno Regional Department of Gospromnadzor, during the technical inspection of the attraction, committed violations of industrial safety requirements regarding the identification of the attraction and the assessment of its safe operation. For violating the job description during the technical inspection of the attraction, the expert of the Grodno Regional Department of Gospromnadzor was reprimanded.

25.05.2024, in the park of culture and recreation of urban-type settlement Khoiniki, Mogilev region, due to prolonged operation (since 1987), a malfunction of the electromagnetic brake occurred (a short circuit of the electromagnetic brake coil) with subsequent jamming of the "Circular View" attraction (manufactured in 1987,
owner – State Cultural Institution "Park of Culture and Recreation of urban-type settlement Khoiniki").

As a result of a brake malfunction, the "Circular View" attraction was blocked, with 2 passengers inside the passenger modules at an altitude of approximately 18 m. The evacuation of passengers from the passenger module was carried out by the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) personnel using a truck-mounted articulated boom lift.

On 16.06.2024, in the Zhanna Emanuela Zhilibera City Park in Grodno, a child born in 2011 sustained a leg injury on the "Hammer" attraction (manufactured in 1999, owner – Grodno Amusement Park LLC).

The accident has no causes related to the technical condition of the attraction. The cause of the injury was the passenger's personal carelessness, manifested in a violation of the "Rules of Conduct on Attractions" (extended leg beyond the safety railing).

On 28.06.2024, in the park of Gomel, the "Ferris Wheel" attraction (manufactured in 2014, owner – ICHUP "SMOLYANKAGRAD") stopped. The stop occurred as a result of the attraction's rim being blocked by the drive wheel brake system, caused by damage to the connection cable of the inductive sensor for the brake pad lever position. The cable was damaged during the removal/installation of the protective railing during technical maintenance.

MES units were not involved in eliminating the consequences. Passengers were freed from the cabins by ICHUP "SMOLYANKAGRAD" personnel using manual rotation mode. The passengers were not injured and did not require medical assistance.