Worker struck and killed by testing roller coaster at Kijima in Japan
Posted
A male worker was killed and another seriously injured Saturday when they were hit by a roller coaster being tested at an amusement park in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Oita, police said. Takashi Okubo, 44, and another worker were struck at around 3:30 p.m. as they were checking the roller coaster track at Kijima Kogen Park in the city of Beppu.
Read more from Kyodo News.
Related parks
I wonder how such a thing could happen, when he was working on the track and no one was aware of that?
Sofar as I know when work is being done around a rollercoaster the people from maintainance take out a master-key from the controls of a rollercoaster to make it impossible for the ride to become activated during their inspection.
We all wonder every time something like this happens. Who doesn't know mechanics are out there? What mechanics head out to an inspection during a simple train transfer? And who doesn't hear a wooden roller coaster coming in time to get the hell out of the way?
What did the president of the park say? "Lack of information sharing?"
Tragic and senseless.
Remember when it happened some years ago (2011?) at Animal Kingdom on Primeval Whirl? At the end of the day, I guess if humans can find a way to make poor decisions, no amount of procedure will prevent that. My kid finally tried that ride (and loves it now, after a year of begging him to ride it), and I couldn't help but notice the lockout tags and control pad locks hiding behind the operator station. That kind of thing should be an effective and safe way to prevent any problems. You lock the controls and take the key with you. I saw them evac Winnie the Pooh that way, a ride that seems pretty low risk for being in the ride and getting hurt.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
Yeah, I do find it odd how know one could have been aware of what was transpiring. However, this is tragic and deepest condolences to the families of the lost.
I love Riding, learning and designing coasters. contact me via email: hmrapp@yahoo.com.
Pieter Peeters said:
Sofar as I know when work is being done around a rollercoaster the people from maintainance take out a master-key from the controls of a rollercoaster to make it impossible for the ride to become activated during their inspection.
That may be the case at some parks but it's not the case at ALL parks. I know it may sound unreal but there are parks out there that simply don't have safety procedures. You would think common sense would come into play but we all know that isn't a thing anymore with people at amusement parks.
-Chris
You must be logged in to post
