Three Rides Closed for Disney to Review Safety

Disneyland closed three rides this weekend after a citation brought the park's safety standards into question. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) cited the park on Friday, said a Disney spokeswoman. The rides in question included Space Mountain, Soarin' Over California, and The Matterhorn Bobsleds. The inspection was related to an employee injury that occurred last November when a worker was injured while performing maintenance on one of the rides.

Disney claims that it is committed to preserving a safe work environment for its employees. "We constantly strive to maintain a safe work environment for our cast members and contractors – and we are reviewing certain protocols," said the spokeswoman. According to OSHA, Space Mountain was cited because the park failed to protect employees from "known fall hazards" on the outside of the roller coaster.

The citation also said that the park failed to provide "approved anchorages or approved tie-backs" for employees to use while performing maintenance on the exterior of the ride. Disney reopened The Matterhorn Bobsleds on Sunday, but the other two attractions will remain closed for an unknown amount of time.

According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, safety is the number one concern in the theme park industry. However, approximately 290 million people are injured in amusement parks across the United States every year. However, many of these injuries are relatively mild. Less than 5% of amusement park injuries required an overnight hospital stay.

At The Senators Firm, we believe that negligent individuals, businesses, and companies should be held reasonable for their carelessness. If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury at an amusement park, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages. To see what our California personal injury lawyers can do for your amusement park injury case, contact us today.