Clacton Pier say injuries on ride are down to 'Individual human error'
An internal investigation points to a staff member entering a restricted area as the cause of the incident
Clacton Pier say an injury to two people is down to 'individual human error'.
Emergency services swiftly responded to the distress call yesterday around 12.40pm and the injured people were taken to Colchester Hospital under the care of Essex Ambulance Service. A male staff member, who we're told "had been an integral part of the pier team for many years", suffered a head wound and fractured ribs.
The condition of a female visitor, who was seated at the front of the Looping Star ride and experienced a head bump and shock, remains unknown as it is yet to be determined if she has been admitted to the hospital.
Concerned about the well-being of the woman, who was on holiday with her family, Clacton Pier management say they are actively seeking information to conduct a welfare check on her.
This morning, a Health and Safety (HSE) Inspector arrived at the fairground to conduct an inspection and engage in discussions with the staff at the attraction. The HSE's involvement is a standard procedure to ensure the highest safety standards are upheld.
Clacton Pier Director, Billy Ball, provided a statement regarding the incident, confirming that the unfortunate event at approximately 12:20 p.m. yesterday was not caused by any fault or malfunction of the Looping Star ride or the ride operator. Ball further stated that the fair's initial assessment has been corroborated by their ongoing internal investigation, which points to individual human error as the cause.
According to Ball, the injured staff member, who was not part of the rides team, was engaged in his duties with good intentions but ventured into a restricted area where he should not have been. He entered the ride to clear away some debris, a task that should not have been performed since the ride was about to commence operations. Unaware of the car's movement, he was grazed by the bumper, also inadvertently making contact with the woman seated at the front, resulting in her head injury and subsequent shock.
Once the ride operator became aware of the incident, immediate action was taken to emergency stop the Looping Star ride.
Mr Ball added that all opening and operating checks had been carried out correctly and satisfactorily yesterday morning.
He said that the HSE was made aware of the incident by Essex Police who were on scene within minutes and took accounts of what happened.
“It is part of the Police’s normal protocol and we will also be submitting a report to the HSE in due course,” he added.
“Once the safety and integrity of the ride has been established by the pier technical team post impact it will be tested and we expect to reopen it later today.”
Mr Ball said that he had visited the injured member of staff in hospital last night and would be going back to see him today.
“All things considered he is in relatively good spirits,” he added. “We will be speaking to all staff to reiterate the importance of following approved procedures at the pier and will put on any extra training we feel necessary.”