2023-08-14 17:52:00
The summer of 2023 was sadly painful for leisure parks and nomadic fairground structures. In France, two people lost their lives in amusement parks. On Sunday, seven people were injured after being ejected 3.5 meters high from a “Rock’nRoll” during the Ducasse de la Hestre (Centre region). On Monday, two people remained in serious condition.
This series of events, which is added to others less tragic but just as spectacular, plays on the anxieties of the public. In the Debates section of the DH, more than 200 readers expressed their fears on this subject. To the question: “Several accidents have occurred this summer at fairs or amusement parks: does that worry you?”, 71% answered in the affirmative.
“It’s worrying because the incidents are becoming more numerous and with deaths, so we have the right to ask ourselves what is disturbing this safety of the carousels that is so much put forward”, comments Raymond for example.
“Compared to the millions of people who frequent these parks in Europe, the frequency and severity rate of accidents recorded is much lower than on the roads,” Alain objects.
It is this last line that the professionals of the trade defend. Steve Severeyns, spokesperson for the non-profit organization La Défense des fairgrounds in Belgium, reminds us that legislation relating to safety at fairground attractions is particularly strict in Belgium. “You must first carry out a risk analysis when purchasing the infrastructure. This analysis is carried out by bodies such as Vinçotte or OCB, which carry out safety checks on lifts or construction cranes.
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To assemble, buy, maintain or operate machinery and structures for fairgrounds and amusement parks, owners must refer to the European standard EN 13814 which imposes high safety requirements.
“At each assembly, an inspection of the infrastructures is carried out to check their stability and safety”, continues Steve Severeyns. “These are the usual procedures: the firefighters and the organizations of the municipality come to check if everything is in order before starting the machine. Beyond that, we are subject to an annual check and periodic checks.”
These more in-depth checks take place every 3 years for large structures and every 10 years for smaller ones. The FPS Economy also carries out regular checks on the sites. He verifies that the inspections have been carried out.
The machine on which the accident occurred at La Hestre had thus been checked every year. The last risk analysis carried out by Vinçotte on the device dates back to 2016. As the attraction is type B (speed less than 10 meters per second and height less than 5 meters), the periodicity with which it must be checked is 10 years. Which means that its next risk analysis was scheduled for 2026.
“The owner of the machine followed all the regulatory aspects, the operator did everything that had to be done,” underlines Michel Vandegard, Chief Experience Officer at Vinçotte. “The electricity had been checked. Unfortunately, there was a mechanical problem. This is the first time this has happened.”
Michel Vandegard ensures that all fairground attractions in Belgium are now extensively, severely and meticulously checked. “We are a long way from the time when some did DIY. Today, the people who handle these attractions have real expertise. They carry out checks each time they set up or take down their attraction.”
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Some 2,000 funfairs take place every year in Belgium. The country also has several dozen amusement parks. For all of these attractions, the Central Counter for Products of the FPS Economy recorded 11 incidents and accidents last year: 3 occurred in fairground attractions and 8 in amusement parks.
“In Belgium, accidents are really very rare”, adds Steve Severeyns. “The fairground attractions are operated by independents. The latter really have every interest in not neglecting the safety of their machines because the slightest incident falls directly on them.”
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