UK Kiddie Ride Safety No1 One World

When it comes to children, there’s no higher priority than safety. The 'Coinslot Magazine' talks to the UK trade association Bacta about the measures that make the UK’s kiddie ride sector the safest in the world.

Children have sat in or on gently moving rides for decades. Whether themed around the latest kids’ film, or simply a model of a larger mode of transport, these rides have sat not just on the concourse of seaside arcades but outside supermarkets, in leisure parks or shopping malls. In the right place they can offer a seriously profitable addition to the traditional machine mix, or an ancillary service and income opportunity for the highly competitive retail space.

As with anything to do with children, safety is paramount. Bacta has since its formation in the 1970s placed safety of children’s rides at the forefront of its work in this often unacknowledged part of the association’s footprint. Members came together to write a set of safety standards around the mechanical and electrical operation of these rides. This was later adopted as part of the HSE recognised, Amusement Devices Inspection Procedures Scheme (ADIPS).

“The thought of a child having an accident on a ride can keep me awake at night”, confessed Bacta CEO, John White in a recent interview with Coinslot. “Not only would the child and their family be faced with an unimaginable trauma, the operator would have to deal with the legal consequences, which have got much more serious over recent years. Examples, albeit in other sectors, make the case powerfully. Manufacturers, importers and operators have to ensure that their children’s rides are safe for use in the United Kingdom.” he added. “The easiest way to do that is to ensure they are inspected by an ADIPS registered inspector in accordance with Bacta’s ADIPS standards. If there was an unfortunate accident, proving that the ride had been inspected properly will go along way to mitigating the risk of prosecution.”

So important does Bacta see this issue, that last year at the annual Convention, members agreed to make adherence to the bacta ADIPS standard a condition of membership. In effect since April this year, bacta has been touring the Regions reminding members of the their obligations and the reasons for them being put in place. “It has been good to see members responding positively,” said White. “I think there may have been some confusion as to what is required. Simply put, the operator (or importer) must ensure a ride is safe before it is made available for use. To be clear if you purchase a ride directly from aboard, you are the importer and it is your responsibility to have the initial ADIPS inspection done. An inspector registered with Bacta can do this. That inspector can be from a third party inspection body, or they can be an employee of the operator or manufacturer who has the qualifications or experience to undertake the annual inspection in accordance with the ADIPS standard. All is required is for the inspecting company to register with Bacta providing proof of the competence of any named employee to be used, and proof that the inspecting company has relevant public liability insurance. It costs less than £100 to do so. A very small price to pay for the peace of mind it brings,” concluded White.

The children’s rides sector has been steadily improving its offer over recent years as visitors to the London trade exhibition (The Eag) will have seen. The sector has also embraced modern technology with contactless payment an increasing feature on children’s rides. Coupled with adherence to high safety standards this is a sector that is destined to grow.