WAUKESHA, Wis. — A 10-year-old child was airlifted to a hospital after being injured on a carnival ride in northern Illinois Sunday. It is the latest incident putting ride safety at the forefront this summer.
As crews prep for this week's Waukesha County Fair, organizers say they prioritize safety as they set up 24 rides for visitors
"Our team is working hard. These guys are on top of their game, and they know that their families come just as anybody else's. Our families are coming to the fair so we want a great experience for everybody," Chrissy Gluege, executive director for the Waukesha County Fair said.
There has been a series of issues with amusement rides across the country in recent weeks.
One ride in Forest County, Wisconsin trapped eight people upside down for hours. A roller coaster at the Carowwinds amusement park was shut down after a large crack was spotted in one of its columns.
"That just gives us perspective and what it does is it enhances our awareness and double-check everything on our end," Gluege said.
Waukesha County Fair works with North American Midway Entertainment.
Gluege says they bring in experts focused on safety checks. They conduct them before and after rides arrive then daily through the fair.
"There's a lot of verifying rechecking. Once things are rolling there's test runs that happened too to make sure that things are ready to go," Gluege said.
North American Midway Entertainment's general manager Tom Thebault issued the following statement.
“North American Midway Entertainment considers safety paramount to our operations and we are diligent in doing daily inspections on all of our rides. We are constantly working with state and local agencies across the United States to ensure the rides and operations are as safe as possible.”
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission does not have jurisdiction over fixed-site amusement park rides. It does collect data involving incidents on multiple types of amusement rides.
The latest data shows between 2017 and 2019 there was a yearly average of 34,700 injuries related to multiple types of amusement attractions including water slides.
As this county fair prepares for opening day, Gluege says safety is a priority across the entire event.
"Our carnival office is on-site 24/7. We have Waukesha County Sheriff's Department with us all the time so there are people to connect with if there's any questions, but again we're working hard to make sure we are set, safe, and ready," Gluege said.
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