NT WorkSafe helping to make the regional shows memorable for the right reason
NT WorkSafe Inspectors are preparing for the start of the 2021 show circuit, and will be among the first Territorians to see if there are any new amusement rides at the shows.
NT WorkSafe Inspectors from the Safety Assurance and the Regulatory Compliance teams will take in the smell of freshly made fairy floss and Dagwood dogs at the Alice Springs Show as they start a month long campaign to engage proactively with ride operators and engineers to provide information and advice, and monitor, inspect and direct compliance where necessary.
Acting Manager WHS Safety Assurance Bruce McKinley says the show circuit is one of the main mid-year events throughout the Northern Territory and with last year’s cancellation due to COVID-19, many families will be looking forward to its return.
“The safety of amusements rides at shows is dependent on all duty holders meeting their legal obligations so that a family’s visit to the show is memorable for all the right reasons,” Mr McKinley says.
“My team has been in contact with the Showmen’s Guild, the individual ride operators and the various show societies in the Northern Territory to provide information to raise awareness and ensure safety standards in amusement rides are maintained.”
“Rides which are not maintained or operated properly can cause serious injuries and deaths, as we have tragically seen interstate,” Mr McKinley says.
Amusement ride operators are responsible for implementing effective service and maintenance schedules to ensure rides are safe to use. They are also responsible for providing a safe systems of work and appropriate training for their workers to operate the rides safely.
Engineers play an essential role in the safety of amusements rides as they are responsible for verifying that rides are structurally safe to use.
Acting Manager WHS Regulatory Compliance Maria Rigas says Inspectors from her team will audit the amusement rides logbooks to ensure they have had the appropriate maintenance work and have been inspected by an engineer, as required by the work health and safety laws.
“A national auditing framework has been developed for WorkSafe Inspectors across Australia, which our Inspectors will use to audit these logbooks.”
“Inspectors will also do a visual check on the rides and any discrepancies they notice with the logbook records will be raised with the ride operator or engineers to address.”
“A visual inspection will not detect potential issues with the structural integrity of a ride, so it is important for the safety of the ride that the engineers do a thorough job during their inspections,” Ms Rigas says.
“Engineers should also be testing any repairs that have been made and conducting non-destructive testing at the frequency outlined in the Australian Standards.”
“Anyone who is at the show and has safety concerns with a ride can contact us on 1800 019 115 to make a complaint,” Ms Rigas says.
NT WorkSafe Inspectors will also check that the electrical and gas setups at the stalls comply with the relevant Australian Standards. This information has been sent to the show societies to distribute to their stall holders. Stall holders who have not received the information or who have additional questions should contact NT WorkSafe on 1800 019 115 or email ntworksafe@nt.gov.au.
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