Camden Park Spider Collapses

[The Interpreter]

Three taken to hospital:

http://www.huntingtonnews.net/6337

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x15 ... amden-Park

[Cameron]

RALEIGH — The investigation into an accident at the Lee County fair last fall is complete.

Inspectors have determined metal fatigue caused extensive cracking in the spider ride. Seven people were hurt when an arm broke on the ride.

The owners will not be fined. But the Department of Labor has written tougher rules to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Owners of such rides will be required to make sure they are using the proper safety bulletins when inspecting the rides. Labor officials say some owners are using outdated bulletins, or bulletins that are not geared toward the specific ride being tested.

Owners are required to do a complete battery of tests on their rides once a year. Owners usually do these inspections already during the winter months. Now, ride owners will have to send certification of these tests to the Department of Labor annually, including when and where these tests were conducted.

The Department of Labor routinely inspects rides when they've been broken down from one location and brought to another. Ride owners will now be required to make sure the rides are thoroughly cleaned for the inspections, so that cracks and other problems will be more visible to inspectors

Caudill said this sort of occurrence was rare for the park, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Caudill said this sort of occurrence was rare for the park, which is celebrating its 107th anniversary this year.

Accidents like this will age a park YEARS in the matter of hours.

[The Interpreter]

Park open again. More...

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/bri ... r-accident

Note how this article is written. Few places would see anything quite like that, and no, the park is not a major newspaper advertiser these days.

[lastone]

Is Camden Park still the only WV employer that can pay less than minimum wage.....and does that impact safety?

WSAZ wouldn't even post this comment ! (13 did)

[Big Media]

Is Camden Park still the only WV employer that can pay less than minimum wage.....and does that impact safety?

Yes they are, and yes it undoubtedly does.

From the Department of Labor:

The Act exempts some employees from its overtime pay and minimum wage provisions, and it also exempts certain employees from the overtime pay provisions only. Because the exemptions are narrowly defined, employers should check the exact terms and conditions for each by contacting their local Wage and Hour Division office.

The following are examples of employees exempt from both the minimum wage and overtime pay requirements:

Executive, administrative, and professional employees (including teachers and academic administrative personnel in elementary and secondary schools), outside sales employees, and certain skilled computer professionals (as defined in the Department of Labor's regulations) 1
Employees of certain seasonal amusement or recreational establishments
Employees of certain small newspapers and switchboard operators of small telephone companies
Seamen employed on foreign vessels
Employees engaged in fishing operations
Employees engaged in newspaper delivery
Farm workers employed on small farms (i.e., those that used less than 500 "man‑days" of farm labor in any calendar quarter of the preceding calendar year)
Casual babysitters and persons employed as companions to the elderly or infirm

http://www.dol.gov/compliance/guide/minwage.htm

[The Interpreter]

Simply unbelievable quotes here:

http://www.wsaz.com/mobi?storyid=126069823

[cgarison]

I think Camden Park is may be the only establishment in WV that could get by with the following statement being made without being shutdown by the state.

"Some rides are so old," Parks said. "We don't have a manual, so we've written our own checklist over the years. Anything we find or fix on the ride we put in the comments at the bottom so we have records of what we had to do during the season."

I am also shocked to hear that statement in relation to the "Flying Scooter" as it is one of the youngest attractions at Camden.

[The Interpreter]

The motor fell out?

http://m.herald-dispatch.com/articles/208992647