[SML] Wrong time to plan

[Bill Sapsis]

Well said Bruce.  Thanks for sharing.

The evolution of our industry from a neanderthal-like mentality, where safety measure didn’t exist at all, to the current state where many aspects of safety consciousness, wearing a harness, for example, are considered standard operating procedure, is ongoing.  We’re at the stage now where concepts like rescue planning are being considered by more and more venues and organizations.  I’m now doing training for concert tour crews; something that was unheard of just a few short years ago.  It’s slow going but we’re getting there.

And not to put too fine point on it, what Bruce said about practice and assessment is very true.  A training session isn’t worth a damn if it’s not followed up by practice and an evaluation of that practice.


Bill S

bill at sapsis-rigging.com
http://www.sapsis-rigging.com
+1.267.278.4561   mobile
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> On Jun 29, 2016, at 10:11 PM, Bruce Cooper via Stagecraft <stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> Well, my NDA period is officially over [15+ years ago], so I can talk about the day I was working at a 6 Flags amusement park and a full train of cars got stuck... Upside-Down in a loop.  Bearings on the rear-most car's L-side Lower Tracking wheel failed catastrophically, the wheel turned sideways at the bottom of the loop and acted as a brake thru the top, where there is the least momentum.  Voila, stuck.
> 
> The sad fact is that even when something like a roller coaster is risk-assessed, it usually isn't fine-grained enough.  In the case I'm speaking of there were at least three separate actions taken depending on whether the cars were fully-inverted [about 40%], Downward-facing [another 30%] or Upward-facing [again, about 30%].  This could have been different, since longer and shorter trains were a possibility.  In the specific case I witnessed as an employee there were in fact risk-assessments and planned procedures created by the park, but apparently they hadn't quite been kept up-to-date with changes in maintenance procedure, park layout, or fire department SOPs.  They were also never rehearsed or even implementation checked to my knowledge.
> 
> The efforts of the local FD high-angle team, ride maintenance, and in-park First responders were Herculean, but there were persons who remained at least partially inverted for the better part of an hour.
> 
> Needless to say, there was a VERY THOROUGH review and updating of every ride-related risk-assessment and rescue plan *very* shortly afterwards.  To my knowledge there hasn't been an incident since, with many more coasters and increasing park attendance in the years since.
> 
> Also, it ain't the FD's job to plan.  IT is the OWNER/OPERATOR'S responsibility to plan and coordinate with the Local PD/FD/Emergency Management Agency.
> 
> Risk assessment and planning is just the first step, folks. Training, practice, and assessment updating and maintenance all play a part.
> 
> My 2 bits.
> 
> :Bruce Cooper
> --
> Itinerant Stagehand and former Amusement Park Employee.
> 
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