Safety at your County Fair Carnival & the Minnesota State Law

Staying safe:

Use good judgment in choosing a ride.

Obey any height, weight, age and health restrictions.

Use any safety devices offered. Make sure they are fastened correctly or ask for help.

Obey safety and use rules such as seating order or loading requirements. Keep extremities within the ride car, including long hair.

Stay in the locked and loaded position until the operator instructs you to remove safety harnesses or removes such items.

Don't allow/force/bully children or anyone into using a ride they are scared of.

If a child is afraid of a ride, instinct tells them to get off the ride. This may result in dangerous situations when a child tries to exit a moving ride, even the merry-go-round.

Be a parent. Explain these rules to your children. Watch the ride with them and explain how to be safe.

If a ride looks poorly maintained or the operator looks inattentive, don't ride the amusement. Use your instinct and judgment.

And if a ride stops, stay seated and wait for the operator to give you instructions.

In Minnesota, state law requires mechanical rides to be inspected once a year and the results sent to the Department of Labor and Industry. Ride owners are also required to do daily inspections and keep a log.

Fulfilling inspection responsibilities is put in the hands of the owner. The Minnesota legislature decided that it wanted the owners and operators and the insurance companies that insure these rides to be responsible for the safety of these rides.

Fairs may remove riders who do not follow rules.

184B.08 OPERATOR ENFORCEMENT

A ride operator, owner, the State Agricultural Society, a sponsor, lessor, landowner, or other person who has contracted for the amusement ride to be offered to any riders may impose and enforce reasonable safety rules regarding the behavior of riders. An operator, owner, the State Agricultural Society, a sponsor, lessor, landowner, or other person who has contracted for the amusement ride to be offered to any riders, or its agents, may prohibit a person from riding a ride or may remove a rider from a ride for violations of those rules.

Inspector may be either an employee of the insurance company or an independent inspection service provider. Ride/device must be re-inspected after a major modification or serious illness/injury involving the ride. Owner/operator must report serious injury/illness arising from the use or operation of an amusement ride to either the state agency or local law enforcement. The accident must be investigated by the state or local law enforcement.

The owner of an amusement ride must have a documented training policy for the operation of an amusement ride. The ride owner must maintain a written certification for each person controlling the physical operation of an amusement ride that the person has received the training for the ride that is required by the documented training policy. Section 184B.021 Statute requires daily inspections. And non-permanent rides must be inspected by July 1st of each year.