Keralam child rights panel orders mandatory safety measures at amusement parks

    Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 (PTI) The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed amusement parks across the state to appoint child safety officers and set up dedicated help desks for children as part of a series of measures to prevent accidents and ensure their safety.

    The directions are aimed at safeguarding children's lives, health and mental well-being while using amusement park rides, the Commission said in its order on Thursday.

    The order was issued by a division bench comprising Acting Chairperson Cicily Joseph and member P Shajesh Bhaskar.

    The Commission directed all amusement park management to get their rides inspected by technical safety experts and obtain safety certificates.

    Periodic inspections by qualified experts should also be ensured to maintain safety standards.

    It further stipulated that trained personnel should be deployed at every ride and that safety centres and locking mechanisms should remain functional at all times.

    Safety signboards and instructions, worded in a manner easily understood by children, must be displayed on each ride. The parks should also ensure that rides have appropriate safety arrangements for children with disabilities.

    The managements have also been asked to prominently display the names and details of the institutional licensees responsible for safety lapses. Every amusement park should have facilities to provide emergency medical assistance in the event of an accident.

    The Commission made it clear that all amusement parks must strictly adhere to the directions issued earlier by the Kerala High Court as well as the orders of the Local Self-Government Department.

    It also directed the Secretary of the Pollution Control Board, Superintending Engineer of the Mechanical Division of the Public Works Department, Director of Fire and Rescue Services and Principal Director of the Local Self-Government Department to form a state-level high-powered committee.

    The committee, with the participation of relevant technical inspection agencies, should frame and issue comprehensive safety guidelines for amusement park rides and child safety protocols across the state.

    The Principal Director of the Local Self-Government Department has also been entrusted with planning and implementing a campaign on child safety in amusement parks in coordination with their managements.

    The Commission issued the order on a public interest petition filed by S Gautham, a native of Kozhikode district.

    The petitioner contended that young children constituted a large majority of amusement park ride users, but several parks were not complying with prescribed safety standards for potentially hazardous rides despite government directions and court orders.

    He sought urgent intervention by the government to ensure that amusement parks put in place adequate safety mechanisms, pointing out that the failure to do so could put children's lives at risk, according to a statement.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)