State doesn’t investigate carnival ride accidents

When things go wrong on carnival rides, Washington state takes incident reports from the ride operator but doesn’t investigate accidents itself.

Two accidents at the Spokane County Interstate Fair last month generated reports. In one, a young man was injured and required staples to his head after cutting it on the Gravitron ride.

But despite a Washington Department of Labor and Industries amusement ride incident report that indicates a “conclusion” that the accident was caused by rider error, the cause of the young man’s accident was never officially determined by state inspectors.

Instead, the state files a report generated by the carnival operator. The operator at the fair, Butler Amusements, said the young man’s injuries were caused by his refusal to follow instructions to remain in place.

The young man and his mother said the injuries were caused because the operator started the ride before everyone was seated.

Who is right may never be determined even though the only report in the state’s file has the “conclusion” that the incident was caused by rider error.

“That’s not really a conclusion,” said Brandi O’Shurak with the Washington Department of Labor and Industries’ electrical division.

O’Shurak said the term has been taken off newer forms because the state simply files what the ride operator reports without conducting its own investigation.

In the event of an amusement ride accident, Labor and Industries can only order that a ride be shut down for inspection. If it is determined to be safe, the ride is then reopened.

The department cannot issue any rulings or penalties if ride users are injured.

In the other Spokane County Interstate Fair accident this year, a seat on the Zipper came partially unfastened when bolts came loose. No one was injured in that incident.