Employers of fairground ride controllers
This page has information on what an employer needs to do to ensure their machine can be set up, run and dismantled safely. It also covers the steps required to make sure the health and safety of employees (including ride staff) and members of the public is not put at risk.
What you must do
The law requires employers to:
- manage hazards and risk – you must plan, manage and monitor the erection, running and dismantling of your machines to ensure they are done safely and do not cause health and safety risks to those working on and around them, or to those riding them
- inform and train your employees – you must give your staff enough training so they can do their work safely and not create risks to themselves or others
What you need to know
The vast majority of accidents on fairground rides arise from either poor maintenance or poor operation. You have legal duties to protect the health and safety of those riding on your machines as well as to those working on them.
Manage hazards and risk
There are a number of things you must do in order to manage the hazards and risks in running a fairground ride. Obviously, the greater the hazard, the greater the level of risk control there should be. You should therefore consider the following factors.
When buying a machine
The Amusement Devices Safety Council (ADSC) and HSE have drawn up a system for the safety of attractions. It covers the design, manufacture, testing and operation of fairground rides. It is strongly recommended that you follow to this guidance when buying a new ride. You can find further details in Fairgrounds and amusement parks: Guidance on safe practice.
Risk management system
You must identify and then control the risks your machine creates. This process is called risk assessment and this should form part of your health and safety management system. If you employ 5 or more people, you must record your significant findings.
Ride inspection
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations require all work equipment to be regularly inspected. Fairground rides must therefore be checked to ensure they are safe in all aspects for carrying members of the public and you must have your ride inspected annually by a competent person.
HSE considers ride inspectors registered under the Amusement Devices Inspection Procedure Scheme (ADIPS), or under the Professional Inflatable Play Association (PIPA) scheme to be competent in these inspections.
If you use an inspector from outside these schemes, you may have to demonstrate how you assessed their competence.
It is up to you to ensure you book your ride inspector in good time and make sure there is no gap in your tests. You should not run your machine when it has not undergone its proper, regular test by a competent person.
Ride maintenance
Your ride will degrade over time so it is important to check it over regularly and ensure any routine or extraordinary maintenance is carried out promptly. Repairs should only be carried out by a person competent to do them and, where a safety feature is affected, the repair must be reviewed by a competent design reviewer. Routine maintenance procedures should be set out in your machine's operations manual.
Reporting accidents on fairground rides
Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), there are rules about what has to be reported, and when and how this is done.
These rules are different, depending on whether the accident happens to yourself, one of your employees or a member of the public. You can find more information on who must report an incident under RIDDOR.
Accident history
The HSE statistics website and the National Association for Leisure Industry Certification (NAFLIC) publish details of accidents and incidents involving particular types of machine. You should regularly check these and take the necessary action to ensure the same things don't happen with your machine.
Rider safety
You must make sure the people riding your machine can be carried safely, paying particular attention to:
- any height restrictions identified in the machine's operation manual
- any obvious or notified disabilities that may affect the rider's ability to ride safely and stay within any containment system. This may include excess weight, heart conditions, physical or mental impairment etc
- whether the rider appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Emergency procedures
You must have systems in place to ensure any foreseeable emergency can be dealt with, and that riders and staff can be safely evacuated from the ride.
This may include fire, loss of power or the structural failure of all or part of the machine. You can't simply leave this to the emergency services as they may be busy elsewhere.
Inflatable safety
Equipment should be designed and manufactured in accordance with British Standard BS EN 14960 Inflatable play equipment – Safety requirements and test methods (available from the British Standards Institute Shop).
You can also find HSE guidance on bouncy castles and other play inflatables.
Inform and train your employees
Your ride staff will probably be involved at all stages of the machine's build up, operation and strip down. It is vital that they receive adequate training so that they can do this safely in all foreseeable circumstances. Training should include:
- how to unload, build up, strip down and reload the ride. This may require further training in working at height, manual handling and electrical safety
- which parts to check and how to do this during daily safety checks. This should also include details about what to do when a problem is found
- ensuring rider safety and deciding on who should and should not be allowed to ride what to do in case of emergency and who to contact for help as part of your emergency procedures
- how to operate the machine in line with the operations manual, including:
- loading the ride to ensure it is correctly balanced
- ensuring restraint or containment systems are correctly closed or fitted before the machine starts
- clearing people from the danger areas around the machine and making sure fences and gates are closed to prevent access while the machine is in motion
- not increasing risk to the riders when taking manual control of the ride function, for example through higher speed, more vigorous bouncing etc
- dealing with people who may become incapacitated or hurt while on the ride
Find out more
You can find details of publications and historical reports about fairgrounds in HSE’s entertainment resources page in the National Archives.