The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a fairground ride owner and an independent safety inspector after eight people were injured when a ride collapsed.

In November 2007, a ground-level spinning machine – known as the Hellraiser ride – at Suffolk’s annual Big Night Out collapsed. Firefighters had to rescue two people trapped beneath cars and several other passengers were injured, including three teenagers. One female passenger sustained multiple injuries, including broken ribs and injuries to her spine. She was taken to hospital.

The ride had been given a clean bill of health by an independent safety inspector, but several cars came loose while the ride was operating and crashed into other cars.

HSE inspectors found that the accident was caused by poor maintenance, which should have been picked up by the independent fairground inspector. All amusement park rides are required by law to undergo annual examination by an approved safety expert.

 
On Monday (30/11/09) at Ipswich Crown Court, the owner of the fairground ride, Michael Shufflebottom of 1 John’s Way, South Ockendon in Essex accepted that he had not maintained the fairground ride adequately. At an earlier hearing, Mr Shufflebottom had pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. He was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs.

Independent fairground examiner Frederick Meakin of Plot 10, Five Counties Caravan Park, Stretton Road in Leicestershire had also entered a guilty plea at an earlier hearing. In court on Monday, he admitted failing to carry out an adequate examination of the ride in a breach of Section 37 of the same Act. Mr Meakin was fined £2,000 with £1,000 costs.

Mr Meakin’s company Fairground Inspection Services – based at the same address as Mr Meakin – also admitted failing to examine the ride properly, in breach of Section 3(1) of the same Act. The company was fined £8,000 with £1,000 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Martin Kneebone said the incident could have proved fatal because the Hellraiser ride was in ‘a poor state of repair’ and should not have been operating.

‘High standards of maintenance and inspection are absolutely essential to ensure the safe operation of any ride,’ said Mr Kneebone.

‘The Big Night Out could have so easily ended in tragedy – some of the key structural components had deteriorated to such an extent that they were no longer safe and had been inappropriately repaired over a significant period of time.

‘Neither the owner of the ride nor the examiner took appropriate action to remedy this problem, which ultimately resulted in the ride collapsing,’ he added. ‘This incident should remind all amusement ride owners and ride examiners that public safety is of paramount importance.’

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