Safe fun at Tusenfryd

The SpinSpider is one of the many attractions at Tusenfryd, one of Norway's largest amusement parks, located in Vinterbro, with approximately 500,000 visitors annually. Safety comes first and that is why every spring, just before the season opens, all amusement park rides are inspected. This is required by law and must be performed by an independent third party. That’s where Kiwa comes in.

Safety inspections

Leif Erik Egeli, head of security at Tusenfryd, says that security work is a continuous activity that has a high focus. “All the attractions in the park are subject to an annual risk analysis which I carry out together with the operations manager and in some cases also the technical manager. These risk analyzes form part of the training for all our operators, says Egeli.”

The annual safety inspection takes about a week. All rides are reviewed. Electrical installations, wood and other critical parts are checked. Egeli tells: “For the second year in a row, Kiwa performs the inspection with us. I feel that we have a good collaboration. Kiwa has skilled inspectors and there is good dialogue along the way.”

High level of security

Egeli emphasizes that the security level at Tusenfryd is well above what is required by the authorities. “In addition to the statutory third-party inspection, we have a separate review after the end of the season, with the main emphasis on wear and tear that has occurred. Trains and carriages are taken apart and reassembled, all parts are checked or replaced and tests are performed according to the supplier's instructions.”

According to Egeli, security work has become increasingly systematic. “Previously, each individual colleague in charge of operations was responsible for their part of safety. As security manager, I now have overall responsibility for the entire park. There has also been more focus on sustainability and energy saving.”

The deviation system is used actively throughout the year. Egeli explains: “We have deliberately set the threshold for reporting deviations very low. We want to capture all deviant events no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. We also encourage all employees to submit improvement suggestions.”

Tusenfryd is part of the Spanish company Parques Reunidos, which operates more than 60 different amusement parks in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Australia. According to Egeli, there’s a good collaboration between the security colleagues across the parks within the group. “We regularly perform internal inspections in other parks. I inspect one to two parks in Europe every year, and I also have a visit from one of my colleagues, who inspects our park. We exchange experiences and learn from each other's solutions. In this way, we can implement ‘best practices’”, says Egeli.

Infection control

During Covid-19 pandemic times, infection control is also part of safety guidelines. In collaboration with Standard Norway, Norway’s five largest amusement parks have prepared a new guideline with infection control measures and routines for large and small amusement parks. The guideline has been approved by the Norwegian health authorities.

Egeli explains how these guidelines are implemented in Tusenfryd: “There are distance markings, signs and hand dispensers throughout the park. Our infection control teams inform and ensure that the rules are complied with. Speaker information is also provided. Plexiglas is installed and employees are required to wear face masks in areas where it is not possible to maintain a sufficient distance.”

Visitors' perception of safety

Egeli’s impression is that their guests impression of the security around the attraction operation is high. “Tusenfryd should be a safe park to stay in. We have very dedicated and conscientious employees who contribute to the safety of the park. The technical department has 15 employees, but everyone who works at Tusenfryd, is involved when it comes to the safety of our visitors and employees”, Egeli concludes.

Kiwa for safety inspection of amusement facilities

There are more than 800 entertainment facilities in Norway. This includes attractions in amusement parks and touring amusement parks, water slides, go-kart tracks, altitude parks / ziplines and inflatable facilities. The full responsibility for safety lies with the owner of the facilities.

Kiwa Norway is accredited in accordance with NS-EN ISO / IEC 17020: 2012 (Type A control body) to perform independent technical control of installations for recreational purposes. Read more about their services in the field of inspection of amusement facilities on their website.

All images: copyright by Tusenfryd.