ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Photos for General Discussion Shocking Carnival Ride

It's been a good few years since I've been to this sort of carnival, but they certainly seem to attract what might be called ingenious solutions to problems.....

Carnivals will never cease to be carnivals, will they?
If I remember correctly: 2 Ohio Inspectors were indicted earlier this year and criminally charged involving the death of a young man who was electrocuted when he touched an improperly grounded ride that they had supposedly inspected.

Good idea, Ian.
My friend's church almost didn't have a carnival this year. The City asked for an employee list as a condition of the permit. About 70% of the people on the list ended up wanted/having outstanding warrants, and the cops came and hauled 'em right off to the Pokey.

This is an all-too-common problem. many carnivals have poorly maintained electrical equipment. I've seen much deteriorated wiring and cords, broken cord and plug conns., GEC connections to ground rod that can be moved/removed with your little finger.
At one carnival in a city park, I was the city inspector assigned. One ride had conductors were so weathered that the insulation was cracked and chipping off. I got 20 v. or so from the ride frame to ground. SO I told the carnival operator to shut it down and disconnect. He said that the state inspector (CA) was just there and cerified it. So I told him to shut down the generator because it powered hazardous electrical. The ride or the power, what's it going to be? He chose the ride. We passed the word to CIty Fire & they made sure the ride was off all weekend.
To be fair, I've seen carnival ride companies that do a good job, & maintain their eq., but it's not the majority.
My kids don't do carnival rides!!!

I worked for an ammusment park while I was in college and learned a lot about the whole industry. I don't think I've been on a carnival ride since and only with begging and pleading have I let my kids do a few. If you go for that kind of sensory input, parks are far better than traveling carnivals. A typical carny will close at 8 or 9 on Sunday night, tear down in the dark, and hit the road with sleep-deprived drivers. A one or 2 day drive, usually into another state, set up fast and open on Wednesday. The main things in their toolboxes are a big hammer, hi-amp fuses, and duck tape