The Maryland State Fair opens!
More than 400,000 people will attend this year’s fair, but long before they get the chance to walk the midway, the Department of Labor’s Amusement Ride Safety Inspection Unit has been onsite inspecting each of the 40 rides. Communications with the owner of Degeller Attractions, the company providing the rides at this year’s fair, began weeks ago and inspections have been occurring as the attractions arrived onsite and then again as the equipment was being set up. “We never put a time frame on the inspectors because we really want them to have as much time as they need,” says Rob Gavel, Department of Labor safety program manager.
The highly trained DLLR inspectors perform more than 6,200 inspections a year. "The state of Maryland has made a commitment to its citizens by ensuring that we're properly trained and that we have a full-time staff of inspectors," Gavel said. The full-time inspection staff performs inspections each and every time a ride is moved, throughout the entire state.
For more information on how DLLR is making the Maryland State Fair a safe place for riders, see us on the evening news at:
- State officials inspect rides at Maryland State Fair - WBAL-TV, August 23, 2017
- Maryland State Fair rides inspected ahead of opening day - WMAR-TV, August 23, 2017
- Extra Caution Ahead Of Maryland State Fair In Wake Of Ohio Ride Accident - WJZ-TV, August 23, 2017
- After Ohio accident, ride safety on organizers' minds as Maryland State Fair opens - Baltimore Sun, August 23, 2017
Rider Responsibility
There are easy things you can do to stay safe, too, like respecting height restrictions and posted rules. View additional safety tips or download our brochure.