An inspector of fairgrounds rides has been fined after issuing a safety certificate for a roller-coaster which then derailed, as he had given a crucial safety report for the ride.
In June 2016, Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that, a ride inspector named, Craig Boswell, issued a Declaration of Compliance for a ride operated by M & D Limited called the Tsunami roller-coaster at the Strathclyde Country Park in Scotland. By issuing the DoC, it was implied that the Tsunami was safe to operate, Although on the the 26th June 2016, a train of the roller-coaster derailed and crashed to the ground leaving the nine passengers on board with serious injuries.
The Health and Safety Executive, following an investigation, found that Mr Boswell had issued a Declaration of Compliance, even though he had failed to obtain a suitable report of the non-destructive testing. This testing demonstrated that the safety critical parts of the ride had been meticulously examined whilst the ride had been dismembered. As a result of this the ride had been operated in an unsafe condition.
A Community Payback order of 160 hours of unpaid work, to be carried out over a 12 month period, had been issued to Mr Boswell after he pleaded guilty to Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974.
“The consequences of this incident, while serious and significant, could have been even more tragic. Many of those members of the public involved continue to be impacted by the events of that day.“Fairground ride inspectors have a crucial role to play in ensuring rides are safe for the public to enjoy. Failing to carry out all aspects of this work properly can have the most serious of consequences. “It is incumbent on all ride inspectors to ensure they carry out their work diligently and competently at all times.” Martin McMahon, an inspector of HSE spoke after the hearing.
