Safety regulator clamps down on unsafe rides after 'serious injuries' at Cardiff's Winter Wonderland

Three people were "seriously injured" on the Sizzler ride at Cardiff's Winter Wonderland in November 2022. Credit: Media Wales.

There will be more rigours checks on fairground and theme parks rides this summer after a winter of serious incidents.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is still investigating what happened at Cardiff's Winter Wonderland after three people were "seriously injured" on the Sizzler ride.

It happened just after 5pm on Saturday 26 November, in the capital's city centre.

More than 100 inspections of various rides are under way and are due to be completed by the end of September this year.

The Welsh Ambulance Service told ITV News in November 2022 that three people were "thrown from the ride".

The Health and Safety Executive said the rides being targeted are Round Ups, Crazy Frogs, Twists, high speed rides and Star Flyers. They are used at travelling fairground and theme park sites.

Each of the rides will be inspected to ensure that they are safe for workers and passengers to use, and are being correctly maintained and operated.

David Kivlin, HSE inspector, said that "when there is a failure or incorrect operation of a ride it can result in catastrophic consequences.

He continued: “HSE’s overall strategy is to promote the safe use of fairground rides and inflatable devices and in doing so reduce the risk of such catastrophic incidents to as low as is reasonably practicable.”

The inspection programme comes as HSE continues to build upon intervention work undertaken in previous years to address emerging safety issues in the fairground industry.

The regulator said it has as "range of enforcement options" that it can use.

They include providing information face-to-face or in writing, serving improvement and prohibition notices, and prosecution.

The company Orchard, which runs communications for Winter Wonderland told ITV Cymru Wales last year that a full investigation was underway.

It said: "We, as the event organisers, are working closely with the ride owner/operator and all relevant organisations to investigate.”

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