PA Agriculture Department Hosts Amusement Ride Safety Training Seminar
Harrisburg, PA - To ensure roller coaster thrills and haunted house chills remain fun, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is helping train more than 300 ride inspectors from across the country. The four-day safety training course, Feb. 26-29, will be held in the Harrisburg area, said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff.
The course will feature workshops about all types of amusement rides, including water rides, go karts, climbing walls and roller coasters. Inspectors will also learn proper sanitation procedures, effective communication with guests and how to handle accidents. The department uses the sessions to train and license nearly 1,400 private industry inspectors.
"Pennsylvania is a leader in ride safety and training," said Wolff. "Interactive seminars help keep our inspectors up-to-date on the latest safety techniques, keeping ride operators and patrons safe throughout the ride season. Last year was one of the safest years on record, and we look forward to an equally safe season in 2008."
Professional Amusement Ride Training Series, or PARTS, organized the seminar with the help of Pennsylvania's amusement ride safety program. The program, overseen by the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Ride and Measurement Standards, inspects and registers more than 7,400 rides and attractions at the state's community fairs, carnivals and amusement parks, more than any other state or foreign country.
"For the first time, this year's seminar includes an inflatable ride inspector program," said Wolff. "With the increasing popularity of inflatable rides, it is essential our inspectors are provided with current information on safety concerns and procedures that make inflatables unique from traditional amusement rides. The program is just one aspect of the ride safety program that makes Pennsylvania a national example."
During the inflatable ride program, more than 200 participants will have an opportunity to learn inspection techniques and regulations, including documentation, proper signage and electricity requirements. At the conclusion of the hands-on workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to practice inspecting rides and take an exam to become certified in inflatable ride inspection.
This year's seminar will also highlight fire safety. Participants in the workshop, which is sponsored by the Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg Area Community College and the Pennsylvania Fire Academy, will have the opportunity to learn about potential fire hazards in haunted houses and other indoor attractions.
The two-day training will feature information on fire suppression systems, flame retardant methods and fire resistant materials, as well as a hands-on emergency evacuation drill at HACC.
The Department of Agriculture has inspected and registered amusement rides under the Amusement Ride Safety Act since 1984, and it regularly participates in education and outreach seminars that include classes and hands-on demonstrations.
For more information about ride safety or the Bureau of Ride and Measurement Standards, or for a full schedule of the amusement ride safety seminar, call 717-787-6772 or visit http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us and click on "Bureaus."
SOURCE: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture