WorkSafe Tasmania

WorkSafe Tasmania

Safe and well every day

Amusement devices

An amusement device is equipment/machinery that provides entertainment or sightseeing through its movement or when patrons travel or move on, around or along the equipment.

News December 2022: Updates to Regulations

The new Work Health and Safety Regulations 2022 include an amendment relating to amusements devices like show/carnival rides, to improve recording amusement device infringements and operator training by ensuring that details of statutory notices issued by any WHS regulator and evidence of operator training and instruction are included in the device’s log book. See full details about the remade Work Health and Safety Regulations.

PCBU responsibilities

If you own an amusement device, you are the person with management or control of the amusement device.

If you hire or lease an amusement device, you may have management or control of it for the period you have hired it. Both you and the person you have hired it from must remove or reduce the risks associated with the amusement device. This includes by:

  • providing and maintaining it in safe working order
  • safely using, handling, storing and transporting the amusement device.

Designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers and installers

Designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers and installers of amusement devices also have duties of care.

These include carrying out testing or examinations and providing specific information about the device. Information must, so far as is reasonably practicable, be passed on from the designer through to the manufacturer and supplier to the end user.

Managing the risks

Doing a risk assessment will help manage the risks associated with amusement devices:

  • identifying potential hazards: for example, visually inspecting the device, considering how patrons use it, considering overhead and underground power services, talking to workers who operate/maintain/transport/store the device, reviewing maintenance and inspection records, considering the device’s suitability for your intended use
  • assessing the risks of these hazards and putting in place control measures.

One of the best ways to eliminate the risk is by selecting an amusement device that has been designed not to have any hazards existing in similar devices.

If it is not reasonably practicable to completely eliminate the risk, then consider the following options (in this order):

  • substituting the hazard for something safer: for example, have patrons in closed carriages rather than open carriages that they could fall from
  • isolate the hazard from people: for example, provide a secure barrier around an amusement device to prevent unauthorised entry, or provide viewing areas away from rides
  • use engineering controls: for example, provide walkways, guards, padding or restraints.

Safe Work Australia’s Guide for amusement device explains how to manage the safety risks associated with amusement devices. It also covers hiring, installing, emergency plans, operating, inspections, maintenance and more.

Registration of the amusement device

Amusement devices covered by Section 2.1 of AS 3533—Amusement rides and devices must be registered with WorkSafe Tasmania, except:

  • class 1 devices
  • playground devices
  • water slides where water facilitates patrons to slide easily, predominantly under gravity, along a static structure
  • wave generators where patrons do not come into contact with the parts of machinery used for generating water waves
  • inflatable devices other than inflatable devices (continuously blown) with a platform height of 3 metres or more.

See Plant registration for how to apply to register your amusement device.

Resources

Guide for amusement devices: Safe Work Australia

Amusement devices: Checklist for operators: Safe Work Australia covers set up, operation, and managing patrons

WHS Regulators’ National Audit Tool for Amusement devices: SafeWork NSW is used by inspectors/officers of work health and Safety authorities. However it may be used by others, such as device operators.

Controlling hazardous noise in the amusement device industry fact sheet: SafeWork NSW

Amusement devices – duties of event organisers: SafeWork NSW

Last updated: 24 January 2023
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