RIDE SAFETY

Rides At Santa Barbara County Fair Inspected Daily

 

by:  kcoy.com
By Liberty Zabala
Jul 13, 2013
SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- We all enjoy rides at the fair but some of those rides can be dangerous that's why the company running the rides at the Santa Barbara County Fair have safety precautions in place to keep your child safe.
Helm and Sons Amusement says they try to pick rides that are as safe as possible.
"A lot of folks think that because these are portable rides and they move from place to place that they're unsafe," says Helm and Sons General Manager Corey Oakley. "The reality is they're build to be portable. They're built to go up and down."

He says the company makes sure to inspect the rides daily and has requirements before a child can get on.

"They probably wouldn't be able to come here if they weren't safe," says Aunt Penny Heldt. Heldt had to accompany her nieces on a ride because her niece wasn't tall enough.
Amusement rides usually have a seat belt or lap bar to keep the children safe.

"Kids fiddle with something because they aren't use to having devices on the ride so the ride operator's job is to check every time they come around," says Oakley.

The company has a mechanic, inspector, data input employee who daily inspect and fix each ride. They make sure ride operators are well trained and not working too many hours. He says the most important thing is to educate the public on rider safety.
"Be sure that you're watching your children," says Oakley. "Be sure that you talk to them about being safe on their own and you'll have a great time while you're out here."

Each ride has a license and the permits are renewed and inspected every year.