Elaine Grafft, of Castle Shannon, wanted her daughter Madeline to enjoy the food, games and rides that lined the bright midway at St. Anne's Parish Fair in Castle Shannon.
But, she would not put her daughter on just any ride.
"The rides seem safe, but I would not let her ride the Ferris wheel by herself," Grafft said, watching her 7-year-old take a spin on the Tubs-of-Fun.
Unlike fixed rides at amusement parks, mobile rides travel from carnival to carnival, being taken apart one day and set up the next. This leaves some carnival visitors more fearful of mobile rides than fixed ones.
"If they are inspected every time they go up, they probably would be safer than the amusement parks," Grafft said.
Robert Johnson, president of the Outdoor Amusement Business Association, said that statistically, traveling rides have fewer mechanical accidents than amusement park rides. The association, based in Winter Park, Fla., works with amusement companies, national safety groups and federal, state and local governments to develop safety standards for carnivals.
"The mobile industry's view is no different than that of the amusement parks," he said. "They both want to ensure the highest degree of safety."
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 8,313 amusement ride injuries were treated in hospital emergency rooms in 2001. Fixed rides accounted for 6,704 of the injuries and mobile rides accounted for 1,609.
The commission also reported most injuries occur among children ages 10 to 14. Females were injured about 1.5 times more often than males. In Pennsylvania, ride owners are required to report ride-related deaths or injuries requiring medical attention.
From 1987 to July 2002, two ride fatalities were reported in Pennsylvania -- one on a mobile ride and the other on a fixed ride.
The 7-year-old victim of the mobile ride accident was riding on a roller coaster at the York County Fair. The ride stopped suddenly, throwing the child forward and causing fatal chest injuries.
Nationwide, 55 fatalities were reported -- 38 from fixed-site rides, 10 from mobile rides and seven at unspecified sites.
Joe Filoromo, supervisor of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Ride Safety, said Pennsylvania has some of the most stringent ride regulations in the country. More than 5,000 amusement rides are registered in Pennsylvania. More than 550 companies, including those outside of Pennsylvania, operate in the state.
"No other state has more registered rides than Pennsylvania," Filoromo said.
The bureau operates within the state Department of Agriculture and regulates amusement rides. Six certified state employees travel and inspect rides. Filoromo said state inspectors conducted 1,994 unannounced inspections in 2002.
"They never know when we're coming," Filoromo said. "We don't set up appointments like other states."
Traveling companies are required to have at least one employee who is a licensed inspector, meaning they have at least three years' experience working with amusement rides, have passed a test and paid a $50 certification fee. They must take continuing education at least once within those three years to renew their licenses.
Additionally, ride owners must submit itineraries and any inspection checklists to the state.
Insurance companies also inspect rides.
Filoromo said common violations are failure to have proper insurance or registration. Inspectors also check for things that are deemed immediate hazards by Pennsylvania ride safety regulations or the ride owner manuals.
"Our checklists include categories for insulation, electrical safety, integrity of the structure and operational requirements," Filoromo said.
Harry Reinhart, owner of Reinhart Amusements in Brentwood, said the state's laws pay off.
"They are strict," he said. "They have eliminated a lot of those who did not do a good job."
From mid-May through September each year, Reinhart and a 25-member staff made up of family and friends work about 16 fairs and festivals. They work mostly with churches and fire companies in the city, visiting a few suburbs such as Castle Shannon. Their shows include games, food concessions and four amusement rides. They have a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, helicopter ride and Tubs-of-Fun.
Reinhart and his three sons are licensed inspectors.
"Me or my sons check every nut and bolt daily," Reinhart said. "We have a checklist that operators must sign and we oversee them."
Filoromo said ride owners also are required to take continuing education and ride safety training.
"The end result is a trained professional at each site. More than 900 certified inspectors are in Pennsylvania," he said. "You don't have that anywhere else. We have a really superior type of ride owner.
The Reinharts have been in business for 53 years and have worked with St. Anne's for 30 years.
Johnson said people's safety perceptions are based on their experiences and on news reports.
Diane Toubo, of Castle Shannon, who has attended eight years of parish fairs, said she places her trust in the church's choice of an amusement company.
She lets her son, Garrett, 7, on all the rides.
"There's been no problem and I feel really safe for us."
If a rider gets hurt, he or she should go to the carnival or amusement company's first aid station first before going to the hospital, Filoromo said. That provides immediate treatment and helps ride owners determine fault and problems with the ride, he said.
The family should give a written report of the incident to the ride operator, according to the state's Amusement Rider Safety and Liability Act. If a company is found to be at fault, the injured has the right to sue.
More than 80 percent of carnival ride related injuries are caused by "horseplay" and failure to follow safety instructions, according to the Outdoor Amusement Business Association.
"We find that the majority of accidents happen because the rider did something -- standing up on rides and goofing off," Filoromo said.
Johnson said even if all rides were proven to be mechanically safe, accidents could happen.
"We can manufacture safe rides and hire people who will properly maintain the equipment, but if someone does not want to listen or obey riding safety rules there's not much that can be done."
Additional Information:
Playing it safe
Experts recommend these precautions when putting a child on a carnival ride:
