Ride Safety: Ride ops or rider responsibility?

[Geno21K]

Hey everyone,

Most of us have heard of the unfortunate accident on Superman: Ride of Steel that took place a couple of weeks ago. While reading the official accident report, I noticed that the investigation board put some measure of fault on the ride ops for allowing the victim to ride in the first place. They claim that they should have noticed that the man's size prohibited the T-bar restraint from adequately securing him into his seat. After reading this, I began to wonder just how much control ops have in regard to rider safety. I know that the computer system alerts the ride ops about certain safety concerns. But once the "train is secure", what can the ops do? If the man met the height requirement, and the computer did not alert the ops that there was a problem with his restraint, what more could they have done? Wouldn't the computer have had to be telling the op that the "train was secure" before it was dispatched, which would have to indicate that the man's lap bar was down at least to what the computer thought was a safe riding level? Now I'm not trying to say that the victim was at fault. I don't think that the evidence gives a clear enough picture to determine exactly why this happened. Therefore, I'm sure that a certain portion of the ops' job is to make judgement calls regarding these issues, but, if that is the case, isn't that placing a very high responsibility on the shoulders of young men and women who are only responsible for operating this equipment for, in some cases, only a few months per year. Even after reading the official accident report, I do not claim to have the answer for why the tragedy on S:ROS happened. What I do know is that a man is dead, and that is tragic for all involved. But unless there is a great deal that I do not know about the ride op's role in rider safety, which may very well be the case, it seems like a stretch to blame them for contributing to the tragedy. Can any of our experts chime in to shed some light on whether or not I am correct in this feeling?

[Aero737]

I think this issue is also subject to extreme bias inside the enthusiast/park employee world as opposed to the general public.

[rct2wizard360]

Its not one or the other, as a rider you have a responsibility and as a ride-op you have a responisbility. From what I hear they didnt check the restraints on that side of the train. (Ride-ops responsibility) Also the man was mentally handicapped but off the point. If you thin your restraint isnt fastened scurly or it wont lock scream for a ride-op. And ride-ops need to check everything before a train departs. So both Rider and Ride-op have responibilities when riding a ride.

[twixmix0303]

Has it been proven that ride-ops didn't check that side of the train? It seems like too much of a coincidence. Anyways, I say it's the rider's responsibility. The ops were only following the procedures that they were told to follow. If anyone says it's the employees, most likely they really mean the park because they didn't have good enough procedures in place when a situation like this arises.

[SFGA Bob]

I also wonder if the ride ops really didn't check that side of the train. from what I read, people say that a ride op walked along one side of the train testing the restraints. to me, this sounds like standard operating procedure for Six Flags when they are low on staff. I often see a single ride op walking down one side of the train, however they check both sides. and the method of testing the restraints seems pretty normal as well. the testing obvioulsy may not be adequate, but the ride ops may have just been doing what they were taught.

I could be totally wrong, though, as I may not know enough about the accident.

[highroller13]

Well if the man was metally handicaped, then whoever he was with - he should have been with someone - should have checked themselves, knowin that the man wasd handicaped. Also from the article

"The Bloomfield, Conn., man also had a ``pre-existing medical condition,'' which he failed to report to ride operators despite state laws requiring it"

That was a big mistake. But the ride-op should have taken extra measures in insureing that the man was secure, knowin that he was handicaped.

[w00dland]

Just think, S:RoS only has two seats, I believe on all of SFGAm's two seater rides there is usually only one ride op checking restraits. (Viper, AE, Demon, ect)

[Chitown]

Wrong woodland.

2 rideops check the restraints on Viper, AE, and Demon.

In fact, the only coaster in the park with one rideop is Spaceley's and sometimes Whizzer.

[w00dland]

On Saturday 1 ride Op checked both me and my friend's restraint's on AE. I think that there may have been one ride op doing the front half of the train and one doing the back half.

[Papas]

Exactly. 2 ops.

[w00dland]

I also wonder if the ride ops really didn't check that side of the train. from what I read, people say that a ride op walked along one side of the train testing the restraints. to me, this sounds like standard operating procedure for Six Flags when they are low on staff. I often see a single ride op walking down one side of the train, however they check both sides. and the method of testing the restraints seems pretty normal as well. the testing obvioulsy may not be adequate, but the ride ops may have just been doing what they were taught.

I could be totally wrong, though, as I may not know enough about the accident.

I'm just saying that it's possible that 6 flags would allow that if they are understaffed. Just so all the restraints are checked, right?

[CoasterDave316]

Scott, Whizzer needs at least 2 ride ops, so it never operates with less.

[Chitown]

I meant 2 ops checking the restraints on the trains. I am not counting the op manning the controls to start the train.

[Carlo]

Does Any one know what the Minimum Ops are needed to Run S:ROS? (Ex. RB, needs 3, because there are 3 buttons that they need to push in order to make it go)

[Great America Guy]

I think that the rider have a certain responsibility as well. The park should be responsible to secure a rider in firmly and make sure the lapbar is all the way down. The rider should make sure to follow the rules and not do anything that is childish, or unsafe

[vuman]

in my opinion it is both the ride ops and the riders resposiblity to make sure they are secured. However I feel that the ride op has the greatest resopsibility because they are all trained in how to operate the ride and they know if a sertain situation is accepatable, expessualy when it comes to the handycapt. That man should never been allowed to ride.
Also not all coasters have sensors that tell the ops if each seat is secure. I would guess that S:ROS did, but you don't know for sure unless you actually operate the ride.

[vuman]

in my opinion it is both the ride ops and the riders responsibility to make sure they are secured. However I feel that the ride op has the greatest responsibility because they are all trained in how to operate the ride and they know if a certain situation is acceptable, especially when it comes to the handicap. That man should never been allowed to ride.
Also not all coasters have sensors that tell the ops if each seat is secure. I would guess that S:ROS did, but you don't know for sure unless you actually operate the ride.

[InsaneNewman]

^^ What do you mean, he should not habe been allowed to ride? Look, I'm sorry that the accident happened, as it definitely should not have under any circumstances, but the fact is that if a person meets a park's minumum ridership requirements to the best of the operator's knowledge, there's nothing they can do. FACT: Handicapped people have every right that normal guests do. FACT: Most handicapped people (especially those who are capable of getting to the park by themselves) would have no trouble riding a rollercoaseter. FACT: If ride ops routinely turned away the handicapped, you'd better believe the ACLU with their legions of lawyers would come sweeping in.

FACT: There is responsibility on both the rider and the op, but in the end, if both followed proceedures, the issue becomes with the ride itself.

Also, I have been on AE when it has run with only one op checking all restraints, just FYI.

[EVOed8]

Does Any one know what the Minimum Ops are needed to Run S:ROS? (Ex. RB, needs 3, because there are 3 buttons that they need to push in order to make it go)

Three buttons? Funny, I can only think of two. Operator and Enable. I used to have double op on Batman. We'd run and hit interval every time (very difficult to do on Batman with such a short cycle.)

[chiatrain]

There was a small news story on Cedar Point on ABC-7 about Millennium Force ride-ops now turning away "overweight" guests. The video-clip showed a Millennium Force ride-op and a guest in the test-seat, and it looked like the seat-belt had to go a certain length for the rider to ride.


Edit: Here's a better story on the new regulations: http://www.channelcincinnati.com/news/3 ... etail.html

[InsaneNewman]

See what I mean? "There have been complaints..." Yeah, I'll bet. This is a case where the park is damned if they do and damned if the don't.

[Papas]

There are complaints about everything (you think tall people are happy they are turned away from Vu?), there will always be complaints, deal with it.

[Chitown]

Even though I make it on DV (by about an inch), I can see why taller people would be aggravated.

Batman was constructed 12 years ago and has no height limit yet newer inverteds like DV and V2 have them.

[coastrcorey]

Maybe DV and V2 have them because they come flying through the station (where obviously if you were too tall, could be a danger to your feet), whereas on Batman you slowly enter the station. I'm not sure, just a guess.

[coasterzak]

Yes for the taller folks that can touch the platform, you have a problem if their legs are too long. Also on the inverts if they are too tall the harness won't go down far enough and they could slip out the bottom. Tall people usually have tall torsos so this makes for a problem when trying to secure a harness that comes down over the shoulders.