Missouri amusement park inspection process
After a 10 year old boy is killed at a Kansas City water park, it had ABC 17 News asking questions about how safe amusement parks are in Missouri.
The company that owns the Schlitterbahn water park has faced multiple violations in 2013 at one of it’s Texas locations. The initial penalties totaling nearly 100 thousand dollars. At another location a lifeguard later died from injuries he sustained after a door slammed on his head.
ABC 17 News reached out to the Missouri Department of Public Safety and the Communications Director said he would not speak about anything amusement park related, due to what happened in Kansas. ABC 17 News asked for data on injuries and inspections done in the state, and those were unable to be given.
According to the Department of Public Safety’s website, amusement parks are required to be inspected once a year by a qualified inspector. If a ride accident occurs, whether it be injury or death, the amusement ride owner is required to stop the operation of the ride and notify the Department of Public safety. If those requirements aren’t done, criminal charges could be filed.
ABC 17 News also found that not all water rides are inspected. Only water rides with mechanical moving parts are inspected.
A qualified inspector has a checklist that they fill out. In Missouri, the professional inspector isn’t required to send their inspection sheet to the state. The park is responsible for doing that, then the state is required to keep track.
Gary Kukal, a Missouri qualified amusement ride safety inspector that has inspected roller coasters in the past says, “one of the most important checklist items I look at is the operator training program,” he says, “the ride can be perfect but if the operator doesn’t know how to operate it, it doesn’t benefit.”
Kukal says the Missouri statues for amusement ride’s are up to date, and are equivalent to the national guidelines. Kukal says he most of the roller coasters he has inspected have had great operating manuals.
Although amusement park rides have to be inspected once a year, the state will do spot checks to assure parks are up to standards at all times, anytime.
Kukal advises ride goers and parents to look for the stamp or seal of proof of inspection. The seal will show the month and year the ride was last inspected. The seal or stamp is suppose to be located in visible sight, and able for anyone to see prior to getting on a ride, or buying a ticket for a ride.
ABC 17 News has requested all records for inspections, injuries and deaths from amusement rides in the state. We are waiting to hear back for a response.
