STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 177 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 4, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. GANTT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to enhanced safety regu- lations on rides at amusement parks, carnivals, and fairs The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 870-e of the labor law, as amended by chapter 643 2 of the laws of 1986, subdivisions 1 and 2 as amended and subdivisions 3 2-b and 2-c as added by chapter 574 of the laws of 1989, subdivision 2-a 4 as amended and subdivision 6 as added by chapter 368 of the laws of 5 2006, is amended to read as follows: 6 § 870-e. Inspections. Before a permit may be issued as provided in 7 section eight hundred seventy-d of this article, an inspection of the 8 amusement device, viewing stand or tent shall be made in compliance with 9 the procedures set by the commissioner. Such inspection shall have been 10 conducted within [~~one year~~] two months prior to the permit application, 11 unless such period shall have been extended by operation of subdivision 12 four of this section. 13 1. In the case of a permanent device, viewing stand or tent, the 14 amusement device, viewing stand or tent [~~must~~] shall be inspected by the 15 commissioner or his authorized representative, or in the city of New 16 York, by the building department, at the time of application for the 17 initial permit. In the case of an amusement device deemed by the commis- 18 sioner to normally be operated at speeds or with movements creating 19 severe centrifugal forces, the owner or operator making the permit 20 application for such device shall have available for inspection such 21 recommended maintenance and safety schedules or requirements as are 22 supplied by the manufacturer of the device. An initial operating permit 23 shall not be granted in the absence of these documents. Thereafter, the 24 amusement device, viewing stand or tent [~~must~~] shall be inspected at EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01082-01-7

A. 177 2 1 least [~~annually~~] every two months by a licensed architect, professional 2 engineer, qualified inspector of an insurance underwriter, or an inspec- 3 tor approved by the commissioner as a requirement for the issuance of 4 each subsequent permit. Such inspection shall at minimum comply with the 5 requirements of the commissioner, provided that for amusement devices, 6 at the time of each such [~~annual~~] two month inspection, the owner or 7 operator of such device shall have available for inspection such recom- 8 mended maintenance and safety schedules or requirements as are supplied 9 by the manufacturer of the device and shall have available documentation 10 that such maintenance and testing as are called for by the device 11 manufacturer have been performed during the term covered by the previous 12 operating permit. No subsequent operating permit shall be granted in the 13 absence of these documents. An affidavit of the [~~annual~~] two month 14 inspection shall be filed with the commissioner. 15 2. In the case of a temporary device, viewing stand or tent, upon 16 first entry into the state, the amusement device, viewing stand or tent 17 [~~must~~] shall be inspected by the commissioner or his authorized repre- 18 sentative for the permit to be issued. In the case of a temporary amuse- 19 ment device deemed by the commissioner to normally operate at speeds or 20 with movements creating severe centrifugal forces the owner or operator 21 making the permit application for such device shall have available for 22 inspection such recommended maintenance and safety schedules or require- 23 ments as are supplied by the manufacturer of the device. An operating 24 permit shall not be granted in the absence of these documents. There- 25 after, the amusement device, viewing stand or tent [~~must~~] shall be 26 inspected at least [~~annually~~] every two months by a licensed architect, 27 professional engineer, qualified inspector of an insurance underwriter, 28 or an inspector approved by the commissioner as a requirement for the 29 issuance of each subsequent permit. Such inspection shall at minimum 30 comply with the requirements of the commissioner, provided that for 31 amusement devices, at the time of each such [~~annual~~] two month 32 inspection, the owner or operator of such device shall have available 33 for inspection such recommended maintenance and safety schedules or 34 requirements as are supplied by the manufacturer of the device and shall 35 have available documentation that such maintenance and testing as are 36 called for by the device manufacturer have been performed during the 37 term covered by the previous operating permit. No subsequent operating 38 permit shall be granted in the absence of these documents. An affidavit 39 of the [~~annual~~] two month inspection shall be filed with the commission- 40 er. 41 2-a. Where such maintenance and safety schedules as are called for in 42 subdivisions one and two of this section do not exist or are not avail- 43 able due to circumstances beyond the control of the owner or operator of 44 an amusement device, the owner or operator shall, within six months of 45 the discovery of the unavailability of such standards, submit to the 46 commissioner a proposed schedule of maintenance for that amusement 47 device consistent with the standards for the testing and maintenance of 48 such devices established in accordance with the rules and regulations 49 promulgated pursuant to subdivision six of this section and shall hence- 50 forth be the schedule with which the owner or operator [~~must~~] shall 51 comply to qualify for [~~annual~~] two month operating permits. 52 2-b. None of the provisions contained in subdivision two-a of this 53 section shall be interpreted as to prevent the owner or operator of an 54 amusement device from receiving [~~an annual~~] a two month permit to oper- 55 ate such device during the proposed maintenance schedule submission 56 process described in such subdivision provided that such owner or opera-

A. 177 3 1 tor meets all the requirements for [~~an annual~~] a two month operating 2 permit as they exist prior to the effective date of this subdivision. 3 2-c. The owner or operator of an amusement device shall conspicuously 4 post a sign containing safety guidelines to be followed by patrons while 5 on or in the amusement device and behavior or activities which are 6 prohibited as threats either to the patrons themselves, other patrons or 7 the general public. Such signs shall contain warnings that there are 8 inherent risks in the participation in or on the amusement device, since 9 it is recognized that participation in or on the device may be hazardous 10 regardless of all feasible safety measures that can be undertaken by the 11 device owner or operator; and that there is a duty for the patrons to 12 become apprised of the warnings and the risks inherent in participation 13 in or on the amusement device if the warnings are not obeyed. Prior to 14 participating in or on such amusement device, patrons shall familiarize 15 themselves with the posted safety warnings so that they may make an 16 informed decision of whether to participate in or on the device notwith- 17 standing the risks. 18 3. In the case of an amusement device, viewing stand or tent which is 19 substantially rebuilt or substantially modified so as to change the 20 structure, mechanism, or capacity of the device, viewing stand or tent, 21 the owner or lessee shall give written notice to the commissioner who 22 shall cause the device, viewing stand or tent to be inspected prior to 23 the time in which it is put into operation and who shall cause any 24 current permit to be updated so as to include any modifications made to 25 the device, viewing stand or tent. 26 4. In the event an operator is unable to secure an inspection by his 27 insurance carrier within [~~one year~~] two months from the date of the 28 previous inspection, such previous inspection shall be deemed valid for 29 purposes of this article for a period of thirty additional days, 30 provided such operator made an inspection request to his insurance 31 carrier at least sixty days prior to the inspection anniversary date. 32 5. No amusement device, viewing stand or tent which fails to pass an 33 inspection shall be operated for public use until it has passed a subse- 34 quent inspection. 35 6. The commissioner shall, in consultation with the carnival, fair and 36 amusement park safety advisory board as established under section eight 37 hundred seventy-n of this article, [~~as added by a chapter of the laws of~~ 38 ~~two thousand six,~~] establish rules and regulations providing standards 39 for the design, manufacture, testing, inspection, quality assurance and 40 terminology of amusement devices. The rules and regulations established 41 pursuant to this subdivision shall be consistent with the national stan- 42 dards for amusement devices, as established by the American Society of 43 Testing and Materials. 44 7. The commissioner is authorized to implement a program of random 45 audits or unannounced inspections for compliance with inspection 46 requirements and/or the provisions in this section. 47 8. An amusement device shall be inspected and tested each day when it 48 is intended to be used. 49 9. The inspection and test shall be performed by a person experienced 50 and instructed in the proper operation of the device and shall be 51 performed before the device is put into normal operation. 52 10. The inspection and test shall include the operation of control 53 devices, speed-limiting devices, brakes and other equipment provided for 54 safety. A record of each inspection and test shall be made at once upon 55 completion of the test on a form provided by the commissioner or on a 56 form approved by the commissioner with the information required by this

A. 177 4 1 section and shall be kept with the device and available to the commis- 2 sioner for at least thirty days. 3 11. This daily maintenance inspection log shall be kept for each ride 4 and shall be signed by the individual conducting the inspection. The 5 inspection entry shall include, but not be limited to: the name of the 6 ride; the printed name of the individual reviewing the inspection log; 7 the signature of the individual reviewing the inspection log; the date 8 and time of the inspection; a summary of deficiencies found and 9 corrected during the inspection of the amusement device; the result of 10 the maintenance inspection. If the ride has become non-operational for 11 any period of time and at the discretion of the owner, the operator 12 shall perform a re-inspection and document their findings in the 13 inspection log before placing the ride into operation again. The opera- 14 tor inspection log shall include, but not be limited to: the name of the 15 ride being inspected; the legible name and signature of the person 16 completing the log; the date of the inspection; a detailed list and 17 description of all items being checked; and details of testing within 18 the timeframe specified in the operating manual of all control devices, 19 speed-limiting devices, block system, emergency brakes, automatic and 20 manual lowering devices and any other equipment provided for safety. 21 § 2. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 870-p to read as 22 follows: 23 § 870-p. Operations. 1. Amusement devices shall be operated solely by 24 competent operators at least eighteen years of age. Employers shall 25 check prospective operators' identifications before hiring operators. 26 2. Every operator shall have knowledge of the uses and functions of 27 all normal and emergency operating controls and of the proper use of the 28 amusement devices. Owners shall ensure that a ride operator has read and 29 understands the manufacturers' recommendations for the operation of the 30 rides and, if applicable, any operations manuals provided by the owners; 31 knows the safety-based limitations regarding who may ride the rides; is 32 well versed on emergency procedures; has adequate training to operate 33 the rides; knows how to conduct the ride checks as required by the 34 manufacturers; knows how to verify that the daily maintenance inspection 35 log has been completed prior to operating the ride; and has knowledge of 36 the use and function of all normal and emergency operating controls and 37 the proper use of the rides. 38 3. An operator shall not leave the rides unattended without disabling 39 the controls so that the rides cannot be started by unauthorized 40 persons. If the rides are left unattended and disabled during an opera- 41 tional day, the operator, upon returning, shall run a complete cycle of 42 the ride, prior to re-opening the ride. 43 4. The operator shall check each and every restraint, constraint, 44 seatbelt, lap bar and any other device used in securing riders into a 45 vehicle individually to assure that it is locked properly and that the 46 rider fits properly in the safety system. 47 5. The operator or operator's assistant shall check the height, weight 48 or size of riders, as applicable with the height mark, scale or other 49 means of measurement provided by the owner. When the weight of a rider 50 is used to determine entry to or use of a ride, an accurate scale shall 51 be provided. When riders are of disparate sizes, riders shall be placed 52 in the ride such that any action caused by centrifugal forces shall push 53 the weight of the lighter rider into the heavier rider. 54 6. An operator shall be in the immediate vicinity of the operating 55 controls during operation and no other person shall be suffered or 56 permitted to handle such controls during normal operation. No operator

A. 177 5 1 shall be responsible for the operation of more than one amusement device 2 at a time. 3 7. Owners shall conduct criminal history inquiries on all individuals 4 who are currently employed or seeking employment as a certified mainte- 5 nance mechanic, maintenance technician, ride operator, or operator 6 assistant. 7 8. Operators may not operate under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 8 9. The owner shall instruct all operators to give their full attention 9 to any ride they operate, and operators may not listen to electronic 10 devices or engage in handheld electronic devices while operating any 11 ride, unless such devices are related to job performance. 12 10. The operator and all operator assistants shall have a complete 13 knowledge of the operation of the restraint system, lap bar locking 14 system, seatbelts, and the proper way to seat a rider in a vehicle. 15 11. The operator and all operator assistants shall be trained to be 16 aware of the motions and sounds attributed to the normal operation of 17 the ride. The operator shall be familiar with how the ride looks when it 18 is functioning normally, and be alert to any unusual conditions. If 19 there are any changes in the normal operating condition, operation shall 20 cease and the owner shall be called immediately. The owner shall decide 21 the appropriate action to be taken. 22 12. Operators and operator assistants shall know the whereabouts of 23 all safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, emergency main elec- 24 trical disconnect, lock-out point and nearest telephone for routine or 25 emergency assistance. 26 § 3. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 870-q to read as 27 follows: 28 § 870-q. Miscellaneous. 1. Every applicable venue shall designate an 29 office or location as a site for reporting accidents and injuries. The 30 designated office or site shall be open and staffed during regular busi- 31 ness hours and shall be clearly designated in writing. The owner shall 32 designate and identify more than one such office or location if neces- 33 sary within the amusement park so that no area containing amusement park 34 rides is further than reasonable walking distance from an office or 35 location. 36 2. A rider shall not board or attempt to board any ride if he or she 37 is knowingly or recklessly under the influence of any alcoholic beverage 38 or any substance that affects his or her ability to safely use the ride 39 and abide by the posted and stated instructions. 40 3. The operator of the amusement ride may prevent a rider who is 41 perceptibly or apparently under the influence of drugs or alcohol from 42 riding on an amusement ride. An operator who prevents such a rider from 43 boarding a ride in accordance with this section shall not be criminally 44 or civilly liable if the operator has a reasonable basis for believing 45 that the rider is under the influence of such a substance. 46 4. The public shall not be allowed to enter the area in which assembly 47 or disassembly of an amusement device is being performed. 48 5. Upon the transfer of ownership of any amusement device, the owner 49 of the amusement device being transferred shall notify the state in 50 writing of the transfer, and shall transfer all records pertaining to 51 that amusement device to the new owner. The new owner shall obtain a new 52 license and permit prior to operating the amusement device. 53 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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