Volume 2, No. 6. March 22, 2002
A restraint finding
In the first application of California's
1999 permanent amusement ride safety law, the state's Division of Occupational
Safety and Health issued a report Tuesday on last September's shoot-the-chute
fatality at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, ordering improved restraint systems
on the ride before it can reopen.
A woman weighing 292
pounds fell from the Perilous Plunge boat just as it was making its final
descent. The state inspectors determined that the woman's obesity was partly
to blame for the accident, but that the ride's seat belt and lap bar were insufficient
to restrain a person of that size. The division ordered Knott's to make 12 modifications
to the ride, including changing the restraints to accommodate larger people.
Knott's officials said the park would work with the ride's manufacturer, Intamin AG, to make the changes and reopen Perilous Plunge when it meets inspectors' approval. In a prepared statement, the park also commended the process that led to the reported findings. "(Park) officials respectfully thank the state's investigators for the professional and diligent manner in which the investigation was conducted," the statement said.
