The State of Tennessee does not have a state-wide inspector so every amusement ride has to be inspected by a certified third party inspector. This includes stationary rides like Dollywood or traveling rides like ones at carnivals. So, we decided to verify.
QUESTION:
Are the rides in Tennessee safe?
ANSWER:
Yes, there is an inspection process and if the the rides pass inspection then the inspector has determined the rides are safe.
SOURCES:
To verify, 10News spoke with Chris Cannon from the State Labor and Workforce Development office who handles the amusement device unit and also Jonathan Brooks, the President of NAARSO, a certified third party inspection organization.
PROCESS:
There are 173 permitted amusement rides in Sevier County and as of right now, 172 passed inspection and are allowed to operate, according to the state.
"Sevier County has the vast majority of the amusement devices across the State of Tennessee," Cannon said.
"We feel we are doing as much as we can to keep these devices as safe as they are and keep the people who ride them as safe as they can be," Cannon emphasized.
Cannon says the state used to have several state-wide inspectors but the program wasn't funded, therefore the state cut out those positions.
Now, every ride has to be inspected by a certified third-party inspector who fall under several organizations.
"The inspection process starts from A to Z. We start, if you are at a carnival or at a fair, we start when those devices arrive on the ground," Brooks said.
Brooks is the president of NAARSO, the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials.
"Through the whole assembly process the ride is inspected in several different steps typically," he said.
If a NAARSO inspector signs off on the inspection report, then the ride is safe to operate but the permit is only good for one year.
"If a device was permitted to operate in the State of Tennessee that means it was deemed safe and operable to do so," Cannon said.
Out of 47 zipline inspection reports in Sevier County, 46 passed their inspection. One zipline at the Foxfire Mountain Adventure failed it's inspection and is not in use at this time.
An email from Foxfire sent to the state regarding this zipline said the zipline is not currently in use and has not been in use for some time. They continued to say when and if Foxfire decides to operate this line it will be inspected prior to operation.
At present, the rest of the ziplines at Foxfire have passed inspection and are currently permitted to operate.
Also, 10News checked to make sure every inspector listed on these documents is certified and they are.
Cannon emphasized there are checks and balances in place to make sure the inspection process is done right for every ride.
"It is a tall task but we feel every precaution and every measure is in place that every device out there if it is safe and operable it's as safe as the state allows it to be," Cannon said.
After talking with these two experts, 10News can verify yes, there is an inspection process and if the the rides pass inspection then the inspector has determined the rides are safe.