California readers who have been to Disneyland may have fond memories of the state attraction because of the thrills they had on roller coaster rides. Other tourists to the park may remember taking their picture with their favorite Disney character. Still others may have enjoyed the park for its beautiful landscaping and interesting shopping. Such memories are typical of many visitors’ experiences.
What is not typical, however, is for the park’s rides to offer potentially deadly excitement to its workers. Although the park may promise a land of fantasy, it is still subject to very real state laws intended to prevent workplace injuries. Yet several Disneyland rides — including the notorious Space Mountain roller coaster — recently were cited for safety violations from the state’s Occupational Safety and Health division. The agency, known as Cal/OSHA, is responsible for ensuring workplace compliance with applicable regulations and standards.
The six citations, totaling more than $200,000, must be paid by May 3. Several violations relate to safety measures needed to protect workers assigned to perform maintenance on Space Mountain, such as installing guard rails and using safer ladders. State safety officials may also have ordered the park to install better fall protection measures for workers assigned to repair work on high-elevation rides. State officials also handed out two citations for the seemingly simple precaution of supplying enough portable fire extinguishers to ensure worker safety.
The park may have attracted extra attention from Cal/OSHA officials this past fall, when a contract employee fell while working on the exterior of the Space Mountain coaster. According to reports, the anchor ropes attached to the worker’s harness may have been inadequate, resulting in their failure.
Source: nbclosangeles.com, “Space Mountain Closed After Disneyland Slapped With Safety Violations,” Samantha Tata, April 14, 2013
