Many directions for inspections

At the North Carolina State Fair this year, the ride inspection process was thrust into the spotlight when 11 of the 107 rides brought in by Wade Shows — which was playing in the state for the first time — had yet to be certified by noon on opening day.

North Carolina has some of the most stringent ride safety regulations in the nation, operating under a "100% rule" that requires all rides to comply completely with manufacturer's specifications to pass inspection. It could be something relatively minor, something on which other states' inspectors would sign off.

So reporters bombarded Jonathan Brooks, chief inspector of the state labor department's amusement ride division, with the question: Does North Carolina's 100% rule mean that other states' programs are not up to par?

"It agitates me when the media tries to compare one state's statutes with another state's statutes. It's like comparing apples to oranges," he says. He notes that Oklahoma, where Wade played the state fair in Oklahoma City before Raleigh, has one of the best programs in the country.

"Their statutes and processes are different. It doesn't mean that they're not safe," says Brooks, adding that Wade is an excellent show that worked diligently to get all the rides in Raleigh certified within a week.



'fine variances'

Don Hankins, Oklahoma's chief inspector, points out that "even with the best of programs there are going to be fine variances." As president of the Council for Amusement and Recreational Equipment Safety — which was founded to share information among state ride officials and move toward standard rules and procedures — he understands that it's frustrating for the show owner who goes from state to state.

"We've made some progress," he says, "but the downside is it's a very slow process, almost like snails. You're dealing with 50 different state legislatures. Sometimes it can get as silly as cultural differences."

Wade plays events in 14 states, including the Michigan State Fair, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo and the South Florida Fair. "I'm for whatever system makes rides the safest," show owner Frank Zaitshik says. He cites an estimated 15 million riders and fewer than 10 reportable incidents to the show's insurance company per year during the past five years as proof that his reliance on in-house safety experts, various state inspectors and third-party inspectors is working.

"I'd love to encourage our national trade association to gather data and compare all the inspection processes and see if one method makes a ride safer than another method," Zaitshik says.

According to Jim Barber,