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Stay Safe While You Have Fun
At Amusement Parks
Now that schools are out for the summer, many people are looking forward to theme park vacations. Experts suggest that while you are making plans for some summer fun, it will not hurt you to arrange for some summer safety. There are two levels to safety at the amusement park, personal safety and public safety at the rides. You will have to prepare for both. Personal Safety Amusement parks have gotten so big and there are so many sights that you want to see. You will be there on limited time, and, in these difficult and uncertain times, probably on a limited budget. Naturally, you will want to pack in as many rides and sights as you can during your limited stay. Try not to overexert yourself. You will be walking around a lot. At first you may not mind the walking because there are plenty of things for the eye to see and it’s easy to get distracted by all the attractions. Your feet will soon feel the strain of the unusual activity, so don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes. You’ll not only be walking a lot, you’ll also be standing in the sun a lot, waiting in line for your turn at the rides. You will want to avoid heat exhaustion and dehydration. To help minimize the effects, drink enough water all through the day to keep yourself hydrated. It may be a good idea to carry a bottle of water with you. In addition to water, make sure you apply liberal amounts of sunscreen to avoid sunburn. You’ll have to reapply it regularly because you’ll be sweating and sunscreen easily gets washed off; you’re also likely to wipe it off when you’re wiping away sweat. And, put on lighter clothes to help ward off the heat. Dark colors absorb heat. If you have a medical condition, take extra care. Make sure you carry along not only your medication but also the directions for use, some notes about your medical history, and your doctor’s phone number. And if you don’t feel well at the amusement park, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for assistance. Some parks have emergency medical teams, which are well-trained to handle these situations. Public Safety Another accidental death involving an amusement park worker occurred at Playland Amusement Park in Long Island, New York recently, the third accident at this park in just about as many years. Shortly before that, a teen-age girl’s feet were severed by a loose cable in one of the rides at the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park in Louisville. These incidents happened in June. In the same month, there were seven other incidents in the amusement park world. The Kentucky incident was really due to ride failure; the New York accident was due to the ride operator’s negligence. These recent accidents have reawakened advocates of amusement park safety to push for more regulation by the states over the industry. Most states already have laws to regulate fixed and mobile (itinerant) rides. Only seven states do not have regulations or inspectors for amusement rides, while only three require accident insurance coverage and/or inspections to be done by private entities. All other states have state/local government inspections as well as private inspections on all amusement rides. The recent incidents may – or may not – spur more inspections and regulations. You cannot do much about what governments ought to do on the rides. What should be clear from these incidents is that ride failures can cause accidents, but so can ride operators. However, you can do something about how your family members behave at amusement parks. You can instruct them to practice a lot more caution and common sense when taking amusement park rides. Some things to keep in mind: What the parents do, the kids will follow. If you follow safety rules, so will they. You – not an older child, not anybody else – should exercise personal supervision over your children as the get on or off a ride. All the safety equipment – belts, chains, lap bars, etc. – have a purpose for being there. Use them. Study the ride before putting your family members on them. If the ride seems to lack maintenance, or the operator is not paying attention to the ride, don’t put them on it. It is always better to forego a few minutes of adrenaline rush, than to suffer years of medication … or worse. |
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