Summer water parks offer a refreshing escape from the heat, yet hide risks that might go unnoticed. As stated by Keven Moore.
Water parks, popular destinations for families and thrill-seekers alike, offer a myriad of water-based attractions that promise fun and excitement. However, these vibrant settings can also pose risks, with injuries being a concerning issue.
Demographics Affected and Common Injuries
Children and adolescents make up the majority of water park injury victims, accounting for nearly 60% of all incidents. The most common types of injuries include head injuries and fractures, drowning or near-drowning incidents, cuts, bruises, or disfigurement, and injuries caused by ride malfunctions or equipment failure. Notable examples of such incidents include a 10-year-old hitting his head on a raft ride overturn, multiple drownings and near-drownings in wave pools, and severe injury due to weight limit breaches on Disney water slides.
Prioritising Safety Measures
To ensure a safer experience for its guests, water parks can implement several measures.
Lifeguard Staffing and Vigilance
Ensuring adequate lifeguard staffing and vigilance, particularly in high-risk areas such as wave pools, is crucial. Lifeguard stations must be positioned to eliminate blind spots, with overlapping zones of responsibility and frequent rotation to prevent fatigue.
Strict Enforcement of Ride Restrictions
Strictly enforcing ride restrictions, including weight and height limits, is essential to prevent accidents caused by inappropriate use.
Regular Equipment Maintenance
Regularly inspecting and maintaining equipment and structures can help avoid mechanical failures or collapses, such as rusted tracks, faulty seatbelts, or unstable walkways.
Provision of Life Jackets
Providing and requiring life jackets for children and less confident swimmers, particularly in wave pools where drowning risks are higher, is another important safety measure.
Clear Guidelines and Training
Publishing clear and visible safety guidelines and ensuring guests understand risks and ride requirements is vital. Furthermore, investing in staff training for emergency response and CPR can improve outcomes in critical incidents.
Incident Investigations and Transparency
Conducting thorough incident investigations and transparency can help water parks learn and implement corrective safety measures after accidents.
Additional Safety Measures
Beyond these measures, water parks can also implement wearable devices, such as RFID wristbands, to track guest location and alert staff to emergencies. Surveillance systems can monitor guest behaviour and identify potential hazards, while digital signage can update guests on wait times, weather alerts, or safety messages.
Wave pools, which simulate ocean conditions, require lifeguard density at its highest for patron safety. Water parks should also focus on making walkways non-slip, provide clear signage, enforce rules, verify height/weight restrictions, encourage active parental supervision, strategically place barrier systems, complete daily routine inspections, and give special attention to high-risk areas.
In 2019, there were approximately 4,200 emergency room visits in the United States due to injuries sustained at water parks. By prioritising safety measures and continually striving for improvement, water parks can work towards reducing these numbers and ensuring a safer, more enjoyable experience for all.
- Northern Kentucky, home to many water parks, experiences a high percentage of water park injuries mainly among children and adolescents.
- Adequate safety measures such as improving the environment with non-slip walkways, clear signage, and regular equipment maintenance can help reduce the likelihood of accidents in water parks.
- Apart from ensuring proper lifeguard staffing and vigilance, water parks should also enforce strict ride restrictions, provide life jackets, and invest in staff training for emergency response and CPR to minimize injuries.
- Implementing additional safety measures like wearable devices, surveillance systems, and digital signage can help water parks in Kentucky and beyond monitor guest behavior, improve response times, and provide critical safety information to visitors.
