THAT AMUSEMENT PARK RIDE ACCIDENT IN ENUGU.

Hear this:
“But in this case, the children got panicked and attempted to get off the ride. Out of panic, PEOPLE(?) rushed even to the control consul to stop the ride and in that confusion, SOMEBODY(?) pressed the wrong button, which increased the speed. This made some of the already frightened children fell off the ride. . Etc ”

PEOPLE?
SOMEBODY?
Is it normal or standard that just about anybody ie PEOPLE, SOMEBODY, will have access to the controls of such a mechanism?

STANDARDS & SPECIFICATIONS
I wonder if we have any standards and specifications in Nigeria, meaningful or not, covering the design, operations and maintenance of amusement rides such as was involved in this fatal accident in Enugu.

As an engineering designer, my question is what exactly were the fail-safe features of the machinery.

Were there requirements for these features to be tested, regularly? How regularly? By whom?

Were these features standard, as in approved? What exactly are the standards?

Who established them? Are those standards and the qualifying authorities subject to peer or superior review? Etc, etc.

The thing that comes readily to mind is the sort of checks, approvals and tests routinely put in place for lifts/elevators in tall high rise buildings, and construction cranes. Or do the Original Equipment Manufacturers, Koni, Schneider, Otis etc make the rules as they go along? I wouldn't be surprised if we have all been riding all such contraptions at our own risk!

I will definitely revisit this issue on a broader front. I hope that I can count on my colleagues in The Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, to join in figuring this out. I say, Never Again. I will however leave lawyers to deal with the other matter of criminal and civil liability.

This matter is suddenly personal to me. Those dead kids were my nieces.

I am heartbroken.

You can click here to read the report.