[SystemSafety] US waterslide park death

[Palin, Stuart (UK)]

All,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/03/24/a-boy-was-decapitated-on-a-waterslide-the-park-knew-the-ride-could-kill-people-officials-say

A very disturbing read with so many red-flags that it is difficult to understand why those in charge did not act to stop things.

In several respects it, along with several other incidents,  seems to highlight that many safety problems are rooted in human factors that blind people to (or lead them to incorrectly rationalize) obvious problems.

Some key points from the story:

-          quest to be the record holder for the world's tallest waterslide

-          decided to build the ride in a "spur-of-the-moment bid to impress producers of Travel Channel's Xtreme Waterparks series."

-          rushed to open it to the public

-          ignored glaring safety red flags

-          neither of the designers had any credentials in mathematics, physics or engineering

-          replaced mathematical calculations with "crude trial-and-error methods"

-          death of a 10-year-old boy

-          more than a dozen injuries (prior to the death)

-          people were injured largely because the rafts went airborne, causing some riders to hit the net and the suspended metal hoops enclosing the slide (which eventually led to the decapitation of the 10 year old)

Reading some of the back material there seems to be a lot of professional design  standards for amusement park rides  that address safety - but in this case it reads like professional services were not being used.
--
Stuart Palin

Views are personal and not necessarily those of my employer.
--
BAE Systems (Operations) Limited
Registered Office: Warwick House, PO Box 87, Farnborough Aerospace Centre, Farnborough, Hants, GU14 6YU, UK
Registered in England & Wales No: 1996687

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