Carowinds Shows How NC, SC Differ on Ride Inspections

North Carolina inspectors responsible forchecking rides during Carowinds kept annals on every problem theydiscovered during their annual inspections during the entertainment parkthat straddles both Carolinas near Charlotte, N.C.Their counterparts in South Carolina simply marked the rides intheir state as satisfactory, adding no details to their reportsabout what repairs, if any, were needed to certify the rides assafe, according to annals reviewed by The Herald of Rock Hill.TopicsTrips and VacationsTheme Park VacationsAmusement and Theme ParksSee more topics The details provided in the North Carolina annals allows stateinspectors to easily compare information from different amusementparks, said Tommy Petty, deputy bureau chief for the elevator andamusement device bureau of the N.C. Department of Labor."If we see a pattern of problems, we can get in touch with themanufacturer of the ride," Petty said.Some attention officials consider minor details that are quicklycorrected don't need to show up on investigation reports. But NationalAssociation of Amusement Ride Safety Officials spokesman Jim Barbersaid those details have helped entertainment play ground operators in lawsuitby showing that rides where people were hurt were properlymaintained.North Carolina is one of only a handful of states that requiresuch endless documentation, Barber said.But things are changing in South Carolina. The state should addmore details to investigation reports as part of new regulations byDepartment of Labor, Licensing and Regulation in response to aminiature train crash in Spartanburg that killed a child in March,agency director Catherine Templeton said.State Occupational Safety and Health Administration told LLRofficials that when its inspectors don't come back with detailednotes, the workplace safety agency assumes they were not there,Templeton said.While South Carolina investigation annals showed no problems atCarowinds, the more detailed North Carolina docum! ents rep orted 50issues with the twelve rides in that state. Some requested checks ofwelds or replacing cotter pins on counterweights. Others weresimpler, like replacing rotting boards on platforms.The entertainment play ground fixes any problems found before a finalinspection inform is issued. Rides are inspected daily and no ridecan operate unless it passes, Carowinds spokeswoman Bryn Winbornsaid."It's not running if anything is wrong," she said.------Information from: The Herald, http://www.heraldonline.com