What is IAAPA’s role when it comes to safety in the attractions industry?
Safety is the number-one priority of IAAPA and the global attractions industry. IAAPA’s role is to help the global attractions industry create the right framework to operate at the highest possible level of safety.
We bring a global network of safety experts together, facilitate their exchanges, and produce multiple publications, webinars, and events with these specialists, ensuring expert knowledge is accessible to all IAAPA members. This is done through the safety committees we have deployed in all IAAPA regions. From sharing best practices between members to elevating lessons learned, we have the platform and the network to ensure all guests enjoy their experience at attractions in a safe environment.
IAAPA’s—and the global attractions industry’s—commitment to this promise is also reflected in our growing efforts to make safety an accessible topic, both on the global and regional level. In my role as senior manager for safety, security, and government relations, and together with the experts on our safety committees, I am available to our members if questions arise. Ride safety standard harmonization between the ASTM International and EN standards is also one of IAAPA’s key priorities.
Together with our volunteers in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, we are busy preparing for Safety Day at IAAPA Expo Europe and are finishing white papers regarding accessibility, manufacturer training, and ride restricted areas.
Has IAAPA recently unveiled any new safety initiatives?
The answer is yes. I am happy to say that the last few months were quite busy! For example, we expanded our proven Ride Safety Report system to the Middle East for the first time. We will also introduce our Water Slide Safety Report system to regions around the world in the coming years. Providing our members with comprehensive statistics on our industry’s safety track record is one of the key measures we take to understand where we perform strongly, but also to analyze where IAAPA can best support its members in the future. That’s why each safety report questionnaire submitted by our members is so important!
We are always developing safety topics to share with members. The EMEA section of the IAAPA website features a page listing our recent safety publications, and together with our colleagues from around the world, we’re looking into adding more.
Our new publications will explore how attractions can improve accessibility on both existing and new amusement rides and share best practices for ride manufacturer training on new attractions. Another white paper will give members a comprehensive overview into best practices to keep guests safe when experiencing a ride and when employees are working in a restricted area. The great thing about these manuals is that they share expert knowledge in an easy-to-understand way while providing extra resources, such as checklists.
IAAPA members can now sign up to receive a notification when new publications are added to our EMEA publications page. We will also host several webinars on these topics over the upcoming months.
What safety events will take place during IAAPA Expo Europe 2023 in Vienna?
IAAPA Expo Europe will have a clear focus on safety this year. The Vienna event will host the next instalment of our Safety Day offering on Monday, 25 September, and we have changed what we offer during the one-day event. We aim to provide both veterans of our industry and newcomers with pertinent safety knowledge through presentations on safety culture, ride safety standards, and our white papers will also take a look behind the scenes of the historic Ferris wheel at Prater. And, of course, networking is also an important part of the day.
In addition, a completely new initiative this year is the Safety Corner. Located inside the IAAPA Member Lounge in Hall B, the Safety Corner allows our members to talk to safety experts in a casual environment. Whether you’re an expert in safety or have a burning question, our EMEA Safety Subcommittee members are there to talk with IAAPA Expo Europe attendees during select hours (Tue, 13.00-17.00; Wed, 10.00-14.00). You do not need to sign up for an appointment, just walk up and talk to us!
If you are interested in what the EN/ASTM ride safety standards harmonization group is working on, you may also join us on Thursday morning for a presentation. More information is available on the IAAPA Expo Europe agenda page.
Where can I find help and who can I contact at IAAPA with safety queries?
That’s easy—get in touch with me! Send an email to [email protected], or visit us at the Safety Corner during IAAPA Expo Europe. We are always happy to answer your questions, help you with any queries, or take your suggestions for our future work. Our website will also see some substantial changes in the future—so keep an eye out for that as well.
