Agnote: Tyler Jarrell’s death leading to new safety measures
During the first full fair and festival season since the passage of Tyler’s Law, the Ohio Department of Agriculture is reminding Ohioans about the increased amusement ride safety measures that are now in effect in Ohio.
The law, named for Tyler Jarrell who died in 2017 after being thrown from a ride at the Ohio State Fair, went into effect on November 6, 2020, and made several improvements to the ride inspection process.
“Nothing is more important than the health and safety of Ohioans,” said ODA Director Dorothy Pelanda during a press conference to highlight the new safety changes. “At the Ohio Department of Agriculture, our duties don’t just include safe and wholesome food, meat, milk and the protection of Ohio’s livestock, crops and plants; they also extend into the safety of Ohio’s amusement rides.”
During the event, ODA Chief of Amusement Rides & Safety David Miran, ODA Ride Inspector Ron Dean, and Albanese Amusement & Entertainment Rentals Owner Michael Albanese joined Director Pelanda to discuss the new regulations and how they will better protect those who enjoy rides at carnivals, fairs, festivals, and amusement parks.
“Ohio is setting the standard for amusement rides rules and regulations,” said Mr. Miran. “These rules have ride owners keeping strict records for each piece of equipment they own, while also ensuring each ride receives a thorough inspection, giving everyone, from the owners to the riders, a safer experience.”
Tyler’s mother, Amber Duffield, also attended the presentation.
"I'm getting a firsthand look to see in person what we worked so hard to accomplish on paper," said Ms. Duffield.
The rules adopt new American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Owners of intermediate rides, towers, and roller coasters are also required to complete the following:
Ensure all rides meet the manufacturer's minimum requirements for inspection and testing.
Annually perform a complete visual inspection of a ride's structure including removing access panels where possible to do so. Special attention will be given to structural members and their connections for signs of fatigue or corrosion.
If fatigue or corrosion are found, the owner will discuss the findings with the ride's manufacturer and implement mitigation strategies.
For orphaned amusement rides, the owner must consult a registered professional engineer. If fatigue or corrosion are found, the owner will discuss the findings and implement mitigation strategies as recommended by the registered professional engineer.
Provide documentation of the visual inspection and the findings to ODA for review.
Maintain the documentation for the life of the ride and transfer to any subsequent owners.
Submit a list of all locations and dates where any portable ride was stored for a period longer than 30 days or operated outside the state of Ohio.
The rules also establish the minimum number of times a ride must be inspected each year, as well as the number of inspectors that must perform that inspection.
Junior conservationist program
The Northwest Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Districts are offering a free, at-home “Do-It-Yourself” Junior Conservationist summer program.
The program’s hands-on activities and registration can be found online at www.lucasswcd.org/jrcc.html. The soon-to-be junior conservationists will have fun learning about soil, water, plants, animals, community and nature exploration by completing the required number of activities in each category and submitting photos of themselves doing the activities or photos of the completed projects by Wednesday, Aug. 25.
Participants should send photos to their county’s local SWCD contact, who will send a welcome message once registration is completed. For a list of SWCD contacts, visit LucasSWCD.org.
Those who complete the program will receive a certificate of achievement. Junior conservationist t-shirts are available for $10 (unless sponsored by your local SWCD). T-shirts will be invoiced and available for pick up at your SWCD office or may be mailed for an additional $5 fee.
The Lucas SWCD will sponsor t-shirts for the first 40 junior conservationists to complete the program in Lucas County.
Those who don’t wish to register or receive a t-shirt and certificate may still participate in the activities on their own for free at any time by visiting the website.
To sign up or for more information, contact Jamie Kochensparger at the Lucas SWCD at 419-893-1966, ext. 2 or visit lucasswcd.org/jrcc.html.