State Inspectors Ensure Thrill Ride Safety At Tulsa State Fair

State inspectors are looking over rides at the fair to make sure they’re safe for thrill seekers.

They're looking at everything from the classic Ferris wheel to rides that are new to the fair.

Portable fair rides have a lot of moving parts, and it's the job of the Chief Amusement Ride Inspector to make sure they're in working order.

"We're checking the seatbelts, lap-bar restraints, we're checking any kind of E stops, momentary switches, looking for any missing hardware," says Allen McElyea.

He says his team rarely has to shut down a ride for safety concerns. Most of the issues come from people not following the rules.

"A lot of our biggest problems come from parents letting their kids stand on your tippy toes so you'll be tall enough to ride this ride. That's a big problem," he says.

For those who are tall enough to ride, keeping your personal items secure is a must.

"We've had a few incidents where people have had to have stitches from getting hit from a flying cellphone," he says.

As a team of inspectors goes from ride to ride, it’s doling out its sticker of approval, which for inspector Neal Peterson means the Slingshot is ready for a test run.

Enjoying yourself isn't on the inspection checklist, but the slingshot passes the test.

"It was fun, it was really fast, but it's really nice to have the view up there when you're just kind of bouncing up there in place," says Peterson.

He says it's not a bad benefit of his job to make sure people at this year's fair are safe.

Inspectors say in addition to the checks they've already done, they'll continue to make sure rides are safe throughout the fair.