I can't say that I know how to inspect a carnival. I have done it about thirty times. I have not had any training for inspecting carnivals. The only information that has ever been provided is the address and a site plan.
You "D" man Ice, good stuff, thank you.
I look for the obvious safety issues that you mentioned....and a whole lot more. Every restraint, braking mechanisms, clearances to trees - wires - fences - other rides. I operate the ride and check the RPMs to make sure that it is within the manufacture’s guidelines. Then there's the State sticker that tells me that Cal/OSHA has inspected and approved the ride.
The list of corrections that I have written includes the wrong size cotter key to no emergency lighting in the Gravitron.
Here is a picture of a Gravitron. It is a sealed ride that spins. Once at speed (24 rpm) the occupant is suspended and plastered against the wall (3 Gs) with no contact with the floor. If the electricity is cut the door will not open until someone from outside the ride pulls it down. The first time I encountered this ride I asked about emergency lighting while the occupants wait to exit (in total darkness). I was told that it didn't come from the factory with emergency lighting and I can't make them alter a ride. Besides that, it had a State sticker. I've run into several of these and they always leave town with emergency lighting.
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If you have to inspect one of these be aware that the slide that the occupant is on should have intact feet protection plates behind the slide. If they are missing a persons legs can be caught and broken when the ride cycles down. For that reason you must make them lift every slide. The slides are heavy, it's hot inside that can and there's 48. I have found missing plates.
The next ride is a Dragon Wagon kids roller coaster. There are several versions that differ in the method of propulsion. Some have a chain drive and others have an electric motor behind the seat in the last car. A week before I encountered my first Dragon Wagon I watched a 20/20 episode on a carnival accident where a girl was scalped when her long hair was caught in the electric motor. She lost her entire scalp and it was not reattached. So now I have that same ride with no protection of the motor. As horrific as that accident was, the carnival operator resisted fabricating a shroud over the motor. I was disappointed, he was disappointed and the ride now has a shroud over the motor.
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Another thing to look for with the Dragon Wagon is the rails that it rides on. These machines are old. The rail will have repairs. The welds are sometimes amateurish. I have found cracks in welds. I always require that the part be taken to an LA City certified welding facility for repair. I have posted carnival pictures here at the forum....I think that's one of them.
There was a large ride that has swing seats on long chains. It was fast and as it rotated it would tilt back and forth producing one Hell of a ride. When it got up to speed I noticed that that at each revolution there was a loud sound ....... like someone hitting an empty garbage can with an ax handle. I asked, "What's up with that?" He shrugged as he said, "It started happening last weekend in West Covina".
It didn't take much effort to remove this seat belt strap.
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In the thirty or so that I have inspected I guess the average carnival results in twenty corrections.....some more some less. One year the carnival operators banded together and threatened to boycott the city I was working in unless a different inspector took over. The city declined ... preferring instead to have a safe carnival. I really shouldn't say safe carnival.
It takes hours to do it right. I never leave with a good feeling that I caught everything.