As we enter Month 6 of 2026 (I know!) I thought that it would be a good idea to have a series of little check-ins over the next few weeks.
Let’s start with Dangerous Areas, LOTO and Restricted Ride Areas.
Earlier this year the HSE stated that their NFIT (National Fairground Inspection Team) would be performing in excess of 100 intervention visits of Attractions in 2026.
One of their main focuses for 2026 is the Safe Systems of Work for entry into Dangerous Areas.
As part of the intervention visit, HSE will assess the suitability and sufficiency of Safe Systems of Work used by duty holders at fixed sites to manage access to high-hazard areas in and around amusement devices.
The statistic which they shared was that50% fixed park premises have no system in place for safe working arrangements and permit to work for maintenance and operational staff.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Half of the fixed parks in the UK have no system for entry into dangerous areas.
That’s worrying, isn’t it?
Terminology differs.
People call it different things.
There’s no reference in the EN standards or HS(G)175 as to what is a dangerous area. So, let’s try to simplify this.
Let’s say that the dangerous area is the ride area.
You already control access to this area for guests by erecting perimeter fences and barriers etc. Because the fencing and barriers etc. control or restrict the people that can enter the area, we can further define this as the Restricted Ride Area.
We can then say that a Restricted Ride Area is the “area where struck-by-ride hazards are present where there is a possibility of contact with a moving ride vehicle”.
So, you already prevent guests entering the Restricted Ride Area by use of barriers, fencing, guards.
You have installed signs to tell the guests not to enter the Restricted Ride Area, and you have operators and attendants who are trained and instructed to monitor this during operational hours.
The issue is when maintenance is performed. How do you control access to the Restricted Ride Area at these times?
The simplest and easiest way to control access is via a LOTO method.
To lock out means to put a lock (padlock) on the part of the ride that controls the energy (e.g. a circuit breaker, switch valve etc).
This locks the energy control device in the “off” position. This prevents the ride from starting up or releasing energy accidentally.
LOTO stops anyone re-starting the ride or part of the ride whilst it’s locked out.
Only the authorised individual who placed the Lock and Tag onto the system is permitted to remove it.
This ensures that the system cannot be started up, and re-energised, without the knowledge of the authorised individual.
LOTO should be the primary safety measure for maintenance work.
LOTO is a way to isolate the ride from source of energy.
LOTO isn’t just good practice. It’s a legal requirement.
It’s referenced in PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) Regulation 19
It’s also in Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (Reg 12).
It has only minimal reference in EN 13814-2: 2019. Clause 4.3.5.1 states:
“The Controller shall ensure a safe system of work is in place and provide means for ‘locking off’ to ensure that an element of the amusement device cannot move inadvertently before all members of staff are in a safe place.”
There’s also a fleeting mention in HS(G)175 too…
Some attractions have robust processes in place for this.
Here’s a few examples that we’ve seen at some of our clients
So, due to the potentially fatal consequences of being struck by a ride vehicle under normal operating conditions, the Restricted Ride Area should NOT be accessed.
And for the vast majority of occasions, it is well controlled.
However, sometimes tasks like fault-finding (e.g. listening to the sound of moving parts to identify an issue) or lubricating moving parts (e.g. a lift chain), or retrieving fallen objects from the ride, might need to be performed when the ride is active. When there is power to the ride.
Again, there will be numerous different terms for this one. We’ve heard:
Whatever you call it, you need to prevent access to the live area, or to control it.
Working in the Restricted Ride Area is a particularly high hazard activity.
However, most attractions do not consider it to be so…. The infamous “We’ve always done it this way” creeps in.
In our training on this, we typically discuss the Heinrich Pyramid at this point.
This is where we talk about the relationship between near misses, minor accidents and serious accidents. The pyramid is a classic way of showing it.
This particular version of the pyramid was designed by Herbert Heinrich in 1931. It suggests that you have about 30 minor accidents for every serious accident.
To ensure that we can we prevent incidents at your attraction, you need to risk assess (yes, I know… I’m sorry) the activities that you must perform whilst the ride is live.
Typically:
Identify the tasks that need to be performed in the restricted ride area.
When you have the tasks, detail the frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, etc), the severity of the potential hazard and any prevention measures that you currently employ.
Using the hierarchy of control, determine whether the task can be designed out/ removed. If not, you move down the hierarchy to other (less suitable) alternatives.
For instance:
From this, you develop the Safe Systems of Work (SSOW) for the task or activity and ensure that all technicians/ staff are trained in the tasks and SSOW.
Try to involve the team.
They know the processes, the hazards, the corners that are being cut.
Include the team correctly, and they will take ownership.
If you do not have the size of attraction to include them, ensure you consult and ask them the questions.
Also, make sure that any updated document or risk assessment is trained out to the team.
Universal Verification Ltd have provided both eLearning and in-person training courses on LOTO and Restricted Ride Areas, and we’ve written risk assessments and Safe Systems of Work for these tasks and activities for a number of attractions.
If you need help, support, guidance or just a gentle push in the right direction, please contact us for details.
