Food, friends and family fun are common themes at the Western Fair; an annual event here in London around this time. Another main attraction are the many rides featured on the Midway. Some may shy away from the more daring rides such as the Crazy Mouse Coaster or the Mach 3, depending on their tolerance of heights or their faith in the structure of the ride.
Due to frequent set-up and tear-down, Fair rides are often seen as more dangerous than those in traditional amusement parks because there is more room for error. However, Western Fair goers can find comfort in the number of employees and procedures that make safety their number one priority.
North America Midway Entertainment runs all of the rides at the Western Fair. According to their Vice President of client services Scooter Koruk, they use five levels of inspection to ensure that all rides are safe.
First off, the Technical Standards & Safety Authority are provincial regulators that look at the rides every morning before the fair opens to the public, plus they have third party inspectors to provide a fresh set of eyes. North America Midway Entertainment employs a safety director and two certified ride inspectors that are always on hand.
Beyond these officials, every ride has it’s own operators who go through daily checklists for maintenance and know that equipment best. Each ride has it’s own specific checklist. The most important part of their job is constantly monitoring things during the day to make sure things are running smoothly.
“If they hear or see something that’s even a little bit out of the ordinary they’re going to shut down the ride and investigate until they get it right” – Scooter Koruk
Not taking chances with their equipment is how North America Midway Entertainment makes sure every fair they attend is a fun and non tragic one. Koruk and the rest of their staff highly encourage all thrill seekers to go and enjoy the rides at the Western Fair for the remainder of the weekend.
