|  It
may seem obvious that the highest number of fairground accidents
occurs during fairtime. After all, that's when there's the highest
concentration of people on the grounds - staff, volunteers, concession-
aires and fair patrons. But this is only part of the reason.
Add in staff and volunteers stretched to their limits and working
in areas where they have little experience, interaction between
people and portable carnival equipment, motorized racing events,
large animals, light industrial equipment, vehicle traffic, heat,
alcohol and stress, and you have a mix of conditions that can dramatically
increase a fair's accident potential. In response, CFSA began the
Fairtime Inspection and Consultation Program in 1996 to help fairs
identify, reduce and control potential hazards triggered by conditions
such as these.
Services within the Safety program include:
Temporary & Volunteer Staff Safety Orientation
Temporary Electrical Installations
Motorized Exhibitions & Racing Events
Concert & Stage Production Inspections
Temporary Bleacher Equipment Inspections
Remote Parking Sites Inspections
Compressed Gas Cylinder Inspections
Fire Protection Equipment Inspections
Walking Surfaces Inspections
General Exhibitor & Concessionaire Housekeeping
& Material Storage
Temporary and Volunteer Staff Safety Orientation
We also offer an abbreviated safety orientation for temporary and
volunteer staff. When requested, we can distribute the Fairs Safety
Handbook. A generic version of the handbook is available in the
Fairs Safety Manual, on disk (in Word). Once downloaded on your
computer, the handbook can be customized to include your fair's
specific rules and regulations.
Temporary Electrical Installation
Inspections Participants, concessionaires and facility renters
in need of additional electrical outlets or power will often take
matters into their own hands without the consent of fair management.
Commercially unapproved items, such as multi-plug adaptors available
at hardware stores, are often used to power up everything from electric
shears to RVs. Undersized, improperly rated and ungrounded extension
cords are also frequently used creating fire, electrical shock,
and trip and fall hazards.
Motorized Exhibitions and Racing Event
Inspections
Demolition Derbies, Monster Trucks, Stock Car Racing and Tractor
Pulls are a tradition at many of California's fairs. Using inspection
criteria adopted from the Department of Transportation's highway
barrier standards, building standards and common engineering principals,
we work closely with the California Construction Authority on minimum
standards for the construction of protective fencing and barriers.
We also work with fair staff to ensure that everyone allowed in
the pit area has signed a waiver form, that all necessary safety
equipment is operational and adequate security personnel are in
place, and that all security/safety rules and procedures are enforced.
Concert and Stage Production Inspections
Inspections of settings for concerts and similar productions
generally consist of examining:
- Rigging
for all suspended (flown) equipment
- "Follow
spot" installations
-
Scaffolding
-
Stages
-
Temporary electrical
-
Ramps and stairs
-
Temporary seating
-
Aisle widths, sufficient exits
-
Emergency lighting
-
General entertainer and crowd conduct
Temporary Bleacher Equipment
(for all events)
- Inspections
-
Construction
-
Code compliance
-
Proper aisle installation
Remote Parking Site Inspections
- Surface
condition
- Lighting
-
Security
Compressed Gas Cylinder Inspections
- Proper
use, storage and transportation
-
General condition
Fire Protection Equipment Inspections
- Proper
certification and installation
-
General equipment condition
-
Adequate equipment availability
-
Proper signage
Walking Surface Inspections
- General
condition of aisles and walkways
General Exhibitor and Concessionaire Housekeeping
and Material Storage Inspections
- Proper
storage of stock or materials
-
Proper aisle clearances
- Proper
storage of combustible material including refuse or debris
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Fairtime