Press Release
The following document can be retrieved as: One_Reason.pdf

One Reason Why Amusement Parks Should Be Regulated

On March 29, 1980 thirteen year old Kyle Foss died in an unfortunate incident on a roller coaster ride, one of the newer attractions at a Santa Clara, CA amusement park. During the investigation the CPSC learned that park officials spirited some fifteen cartons of records out of the park in an attempt to conceal them from investigators. The CPSC learned of the deception through what started out as a series of anonymous telephone calls from a former park employee who asserted that they used his automobile to remove the records from the park premises. It took several weeks of effort on the part of the CPSC's investigative team to convince the caller that they really needed a sworn statement describing what the caller saw. The investigative team got their sworn statement.

When confronted with that affidavit, corporate officials yielded the records. Examination of the records showed that the park had experienced earlier difficulties with the ride, some scenarios similar to that which resulted in the Foss death. Park officials never reported the incidents to the CPSC as required by section 15 of the Consumer Product Safety Act.

Further examination of the records yielded a staff memo that informed their employees that the park was obligated, under the law, to report such incidents to CPSC as potential substantial product hazards. Confronted with what the CPSC found in their records the company agreed to a $70,000 civil penalty for failure to report under the Consumer Product Safety Act. The CPSC issued the closing news release on January 27, 1981. Make a note of this date.

Shortly thereafter, a strange thing happened. The United States Congress thought it might revisit the definition of "consumer product" in the CPSA. They did by removing the fixed rides in theme parks from the definition of "consumer product." The net result was that the CPSC no longer had authority to inspect parks, examine their records or investigate incidents.

On August 13, 1981 CPSC lost jurisdiction over these rides. By even stranger coincidence, the chief lobbyist for the industry was the same company official (by then former company official) who penned the staff memo informing employees that their company was obligated under the law to report such incidents to the CPSC as potential substantial product hazards. More important was the argument that the industry used to convince Congress that federal oversight of the industry was not necessary. Industry argued that local officials inspected the rides and therefore federal presence was redundant and therefore unnecessary.

To the extent that what industry said was true it was true. County and local officials inspected the rides in the same manner as they would inspect habitable dwellings and commercial real estate. Their inspection authority ended with their preoccupancy

Press Release
The following document can be retrieved as: KRM-PR-01.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 25, 2002
For More Information Contact:
Ken Martin 804-342-1808
http://www.krmgroup.com

ANOTHER TOOL IN AMUSEMENT RIDE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION

(Richmond, Virginia) Ken Martin of KRM Consulting Group, who focuses on amusement ride safety, is pleased to announce a new service in his continuing quest for safer amusement rides and educating the public as to their role in amusement ride safety.

In addition to KRM's Forensic Incident Investigation and Accident Reconstruction Services, they also offer forensic examination of control systems of amusement rides. Those services would include:

Uploading the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) control logic to a portable PC that enables us to see the control logic including safety interlocks and programmerÕs notes.

Simulating interlock sequences in our own PLC and building courtroom demonstrations of the operation.

Reviewing and explaining the control scheme for older systems that use electromechanical relays via interpretation of the electrical schematics.

Testifying as to the condition of the control equipment in the field including control box integrity, signal wiring and human-machine-interfaces as to whether they were contributing factors in an incident.

Comparing and contrasting the written system operating instructions to the actual functioning of the control system

KRM will also offer trouble-shooting for most PLCs, including those manufactured by Allen Bradley, Siemens, Scheider Electric (Quantum and Modicon) and General Electric. This service will be beneficial to those amusement ride owners whose equipment is no longer under warranty. Forensic examination will not be limited to amusement rides and attractions.

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