Amusement and Theme
Parks
Ride Operations
The major draw of an amusement park
or theme park would be their
mechanical rides. Whether it be a thrill
ride employing the latest technologies
and theming to a simple chain swing,
the most important factor to consider is
the safety.
Health and Safety
Procedures for Specific
Rides
Pre - operation
Before the park opens its gate to
the open public, safety and
maintenance personnel are busy
checking and inspecting rides and
facilities in the amusement park.
Cleanliness
Check for trash and debris inside gondolas,
carts, and rides.
Wipe down visible areas
Disinfect handle bars and surfaces that
come into contact with the general public
Sweep and mop floors and footplates when
needed
Emergency Procedures for Specific
Rides
Emergency procedures for each specific ride should be
present for all rides
These emergency procedures should be cascaded to all
ride operators and staff that are in contact with guest.
Emergency procedures should first and foremost
protect human life or safety, second, protection of
facility equipment and property, and third, public
relations.
General emergency procedure training and ride emergency
procedure training programs should include the following topics:
Fires
Site evacuation
Cut and fire related injuries
Neck and spinal injuries
Security related (Brawls, Robbery, Vandalism, and Breaches)
Environmental (Flash Floods, Storms, Lightning, and Earthquake)
Ride Safety Procedures
During ride operations and there is reason to
believe that the safety of the passengers are
at risk, emergency procedures for rides must
be performed. Individual ride manufacturers
will have their own specific emergency
procedures for emergency stops. Most will
have some, or all of the following in their
guidelines:
Emergency Stop
If
anything unusual is heard or seen, operate
emergency stop button.
Wait until the rides has come back to its
unloading position and has to a complete stop.
Unlock restraints.
Informguests that the ride is encountering
mechanical difficulties and has to be checked by
maintenance personnel.
Apologize for this inconvenience.
Unload the ride.
Call/ radio for maintenance personnel.
Inform guests at queue lines that ride
will be temporarily closed for a
maintenance check.
Rise Stuck at Certain Area
Call for safety and maintenance as well as
Emergency Health Services.
Instruct the guests inside the ride to stay
calm over the public address system.
Assist safety and maintenance staff in
extracting the guests using guidelines from
the ride manufacturer.
Technical/ Equipment Procedures for
Specific Rides
Loading Procedures
Unlock restraints
Load guests
Lock restraints
Double check restraints
Deliver pre- ride announcement spiel/ play recorded
announcement
Wait for system ready light
Press execute button
During Operation
Monitor ride in motion
Watch out for anything out of the
ordinary
Listen to sounds made by the equipment
If anything unusual is heard or seen,
perform Emergency Stop Procedure
Unloading Procedure
Deliver post ride announcement spiel / Play
recorded announcement
Unlock restraints
Assist guests out of the ride
Thank guests for riding the attraction
Check for any trash/ debris/ guest belongings
Perform loading procedures for next batch
Shut Down Procedures
Check for any trash/ debris/ guests belongings
Perform shut down systems diagnostics
Ifany errors or warning light is flashed/
blinking, call or radio safety and maintenance
personnel
Record error report on the ride maintenance
log
Turn Over to Shift Personnel
Amusement and theme parks normally
operate on extended hours and would
require more than one shift for their
manpower. This is not consistent for parks
which operate on a seasonal basis. During
off peak seasons, the park can operate with
one shift depending on its operating hour.
Documentation and Reports
Riderelated documentation and reports
serve a number of purpose but most
importantly, a record of safety.
Through a properly documented recording
of ride usage, maintenance works, and
safety checks, a clearer picture of the
ride’s physical standing can be made
Preparing Job Documentation
Following Instructions
Safety and usage of documents and
instructions both from the ride
manufacturer and the facility itself are
put into place for the proper usage and
care of the ride mechanism as well as
the guests who will be using the rides
and attractions.
Filling out of Form
Merelycompleting a form or checklist
haphazardly and with an unreadable
handwriting can also cause serious negative
implications. One example of which is a
reported malfunction that was not clearly
recorded in an accurate manner can be
ignored by the safety and maintenance
personnel because of the state it was written.
To Summarize
Ride operators serves as the marshals and controllers of
their specific rides.
The level of safety and enjoyment of the guests will
depend on the level of customer service and safety
compliance the ride operator give.
In the event of emergencies, ride operators will be the
first ones to assess the gravity of the situation.
Ride documentation and checklists are part of the safety
tasks of ride operators; these documents save lives.
