SALOU, SPAIN, September 27—Safety. It's the foundation of the global attractions industry and continues to be our highest priority. Because of its paramount importance, each year, the IAAPA EMEA Safety Subcommittee, as well as other key stakeholders, come together to discuss the latest developments in the field of ride safety, standards, maintenance, design, and risk management.
This year, operators and manufacturers from all across Europe came together in the PortAventura Business & Events Convention Centre to share with each other best practices that prove beneficial and can be implemented by other attractions in the. After all, when safety is concerned, there are no competitors.
Har Kupers, CEO at Vekoma Rides, presented recent developments in the process of harmonizing the various ride safety standards that exist today, a recurring effort. Starting in 2007, the committee regularly publishes the IAAPA Ride Safety Report that presents data on the reliability of our industry, demonstrates how safe the leisure industry is, and forms the basis of future improvements. A new white paper on ride maintenance best practices will be published soon.
One particularly interesting development in the field of ride maintenance presented during this year's Safety Institute is the usage of drones for structural inspection. This proactive and innovative way of performing visual inspections allow maintenance personnel to examine parts of steel structures that are high off the ground or only reachable by a basket or crane.
Finally, David Bromilow, global director parks and attractions at Denmark-based Mobaro, who most recently led the IAAPA Safety Institute as chair, made a call to recruit additional committee members. Interested in joining? Feel free to reach out to him or any other member of the subcommittee.
