Safety is an attitude and you need to have this attitude in everything you do.
 Think Safe
 Feel Safe
 Look Safe
 Be Safe
Ride operators have an important job and a big responsibility in terms of rider safety.
You are the only one who has full control on most rides and so have to be proactive and sometimes react quickly to situations as they arise. A safe attitude can play a BIG role in all our lives. By staying in the right frame of mind, we can keep everyone safe.
Safe attitudes do protect lives.
Good attitudes start at home. I know most of us live and work together and sometimes we can get a little too close to each other. It is very, very important that we keep what happens at home and what happens at work separated.
Every employee is important to the operation of a show. When someone doesn’t show up for work or takes extended breaks, it means extra work for everyone. With everyone doing extra work it makes for an unsafe environment. It is your responsibility to call the office when you aren’t able to be at work or on time for work. When you are on a break do not “hang out” around the other rides, distracting other operators from their rides.
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Appearance is important. It is every Supervisor’s responsibility to enforce all policies pertaining to correct wardrobe attire and to enforce the grooming standard for all employees.
Good personal hygiene is a must and reflects well on your image and that of the company you work for. Hair should be worn at collar length, tied back to prevent entanglement or securely fit under a cap. Men’s beards should be close trimmed.
Beards must also be grown in at hire date. They should not be grown during season if you begin working without one. Body jewelry should be kept to a minimum and limited in size. Uniforms and identification badges must be worn at all times when on duty.
Every worker on a show is responsible for health and safety at the workplace.
Everyone is accountable for their own safety as well as the safety of others. Safety doesn’t just happen it is a shared responsibility.
Basic Safety Rules
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A running ride needs 100% of your attention
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Friends and family may not “hang out” while you are operating a ride
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Politely refuse people who appear to be intoxicated or “too pregnant”
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Do not use drugs or alcohol
 Make sure someone is with you until you feel 100% comfortable on the ride
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Never leave your control stand while the ride is running
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Make sure everyone is safely secured in the seats
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Make an announcement that you are starting the ride
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Know the height requirements and limitations of your ride
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Do your Pre-Opening Daily Inspection. CHECK EVERYTHING LISTED!
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If you sense something wrong, shut down the ride and let someone know
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Inspect the fence before you start the ride every time. Adjust as necessary.
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Check your blocking throughout the day. Tell someone if it shifts.
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Keep your ride clean, if someone drops garbage in front of it, pick it up. Keep your own garbage in a garbage can or bag.
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Do not smoke while helping people on or off the rides. Don’t leave a burning cigarette laying on the control stand. pg. 2

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Customers are not allowed to take food, drinks or prizes on the rides.
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Test run your ride for 3 cycles before you start to operate it. Especially if you didn’t do the inspection yourself.
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If anyone can trip on it, slip on it, knock their head on it, get a splinter from it, fall from it, fall out of it, get cut from it, REPORT IT!
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Never leave a ride unattended while the show is open. If you must, be sure
both gates are locked and do what you can to disable the control stand.
Know your ride. Watch it and know what it does before you operate it. Never attempt to jump on or off the ride while it is in motion. Use common sense, don’t fool around, and stay focused on the ride and the riders.
The purpose of the ride operation manual is to help you with your responsibilities and familiarize you with the operation of the ride. Each ride has its own manual and we will provide the necessary training. The manuals contain important information about the set up, operation, and maintenance of your ride.
Each ride has a specific safety checklist that must be completed, signed and dated on a daily basis prior to opening the ride to the public. Your supervisor will instruct you in what to look for and how to use the checklist. Remember that this checklist is a legal document and it must be initialed and signed off on in ink. Make sure that each item is initialed by the person who actually checks it. If there is something wrong notify your supervisor before you open the ride.
Some of the rides have “operator presence” or “dead man” switches that require you to keep your foot or hand on the switch throughout the entire ride cycle in order to operate the ride. Never block or disable this switch in any way. Before you leave your ride, you must ensure that the ride has been reasonably secured against unauthorized operation. Do not attempt to remove a rider from a moving ride and pg. 3

never reach out and try to stop a moving ride with your hands. Never leave the controls while the ride is in motion or operating.
Certain rides need to be balanced when loading riders and that will require you to load vehicles opposite each other. Check with your supervisor or the ride manual to confirm if this is the case for the ride you are operating. On busy days try and load and unload your passengers as quickly and efficiently as possible, while still being as safe as possible
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As a ride operator or attendant you will become quite familiar with the operation of your ride. Should you notice a change in the sound, movement or odor of your ride, stop the operation. DO NOT attempt repairs to the ride except under the direct supervision of a qualified ride mechanic.
If you encounter an unscheduled shutdown, ride vehicles may be at a point or position that is not normal for loading and unloading of passengers.
If an unscheduled shut down occurs, observe the following rules:
 Follow emergency procedures for the particular ride.
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Bring the ride to a safe stop following the proper procedures and using the emergency stop, brakes or stop button.
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Turn the power off if applicable. Not all rides can be powered off.
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Notify your supervisor immediately.
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Remain at the controls until directed by a supervisor.
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After the problem is repaired, test cycle the ride in accordance with normal procedures and without riders before opening the ride to the public.
During the course of an operating day, the weather can change dramatically.
Generally, in heavy storms and heavy rain, all rides will close temporarily and reopen as soon as possible. If you must leave your ride for shelter during the storm, you may go to the nearest awning or food trailer for cover. You must stay close enough to your ride and in plain sight where your ride supervisor can see you. As soon as the pg. 4

storm has passed return to your ride immediately. At this time, everyone can start to wipe and dry seats, pick up any debris in the ride area and prepare to open. While you are drying rides, DO NOT FORGET about the guests waiting to ride. In a courteous manner, try to inform them of the probable opening time of the ride. Do a test run without passengers just as you would before a normal opening to make sure nothing was damaged in the storm.
In the event of a temporary loss of power or lights, reassure all guests and ask them to stay where they are until emergency lighting or power is restored. Call the ride supervisor. Assist guests exiting dark areas of the rides. Remain at your work area unless otherwise directed by management or security.
Serious ride incidents are rare, however, due to the commitment to safety by all persons involved, you may have to respond if an incident takes place.
Observe the following procedures in such an instance:
 Remain calm and in control of the situation.
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Notify your supervisor immediately.
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If there is a serious injury, do not move the rider, but make the rider as comfortable as possible.
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Cover the person’s body to reduce shock.
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DO NOT attempt to move the ride until your supervisor arrives and then only under his supervision or that of a mechanic to free a trapped passenger.
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Assist in securing the scene as directed by your supervisor until the authorities arrive.
 Assist in making way for emergency vehicles.
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DO NOT attempt to offer medical treatment unless qualified and authorized to do so.
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Refer all media enquiries to the office and DO NOT give any statements to the media.
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Complete an incident report form accurately and outside of the influence of others, including facts and not opinions.
Fire Procedures pg. 5

In case of fire, adhere to the following:
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Remain calm
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Remove all riders and employees from the area
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Turn off power to the ride if possible
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Notify a supervisor immediately to call the fire department
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If it is a small fire: o Locate the closest fire extinguisher o Pull the pin from the extinguisher o Aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire from an upwind direction. o While squeezing the handle, sweep the extinguisher hose back and forth in the direction of the fire.
In addition to providing our guests with a smile, attentiveness, courtesy and a pleasing disposition, we are often called upon to think for them. It is important to keep in mind that, when people come out to ride they want to have a good time but it is our duty to politely but firmly advise them when they are violating safety rules.
Never argue or have confrontations with a customer. If there is a discrepancy politely direct them to the office with any and all concerns.
Courtesy + Safety + Attitude + Cleanliness= Professional Operation
Skills leave nothing to chance
A professional ride operator develops skills by learning all the characteristics of the machine he or she is operating.
What affects your job performance?
Alcohol
There is no doubt about it: Alcohol is the most abused drug in America today.
A lot of people have wrong ideas about alcohol. We’ll mention three of them.
1.
“Drinking alcohol increases efficiency”. Alcohol is not a stimulant. It is a depressant. Alcohol hits you first in two places: in the brain (dulling your judgment) and in your reflexes (making them unreliable).
2.
“If you’ve had too much to drink, coffee, milk or food will sober you up.” This is also a wrong notion. Only time will sober you. Alcohol leaves the body at the rate pg. 6

of about one ounce per hour. Once the alcohol is in your body there is nothing you can do to hurry the process.
EXAMPLE: 6 beers x 12 ounces= 72 ounces of beer. Out of those 72 ounces 6% is alcohol.
72 x .06= 4.32 ounces. That means if you drink 6 beers it will take you 4 ½ hours to become sober. Double that by a 12-pack or increase the percentages by drinking hard liquor and the time also increases.
3.
“If you stick to beer or wine, you won’t get drunk.” Untrue, it’s alcohol that causes the problem, not the form in which you take it whether liquor, wine or beer.
4.
That old saying, “If you drink, don’t drive” is still true. It is especially true if your livelihood depends on your ability to operate any machinery. If you are operating a ride while under the influence and have an accident, your troubles are multiplied and could very easily change the rest of your life…for the worse.
Drugs
Americans use a lot of drugs; many of them are prescribed by physicians. Others are bought over the drugstore counter. Medication can have effects that severely interfere with your ability to operate a ride.
Operating a ride is a full-time job. You need to be at your best: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Medications, both non-prescription and prescription, can be extremely dangerous. You may suffer side effects and therefore become less alert and less in control of your reflexes than you would be under normal circumstances.
Remember these things when you are getting ready to operate the ride. Don’t endanger your own life and the lives of others by operating a ride when you are not at your best.
Fatigue
Operating a ride is work. It is tiring. A person must be in good physical, mental, and emotional condition to be a good operator. Many safety experts believe that an operator’s mental and emotional state has something to do with almost every incident.
Most people think of a person being unfit to operate a ride when he or she has been drinking. But fatigue can be just as dangerous to an operator.
Boredom is common among ride operators, especially on days requiring long hours of operation. Your senses become dull, your eyes become fixed and you are not alert to situations around you. You may become “hypnotized” and unable to react. Before pg. 7

you know it, you can be involved in an incident. It is important to keep your eyes moving- checking every aspect of the ride. If you feel boredom or fatigue slipping up on you, walk around and stretch your legs. This could save a life.
Professional operators avoid quick starts and jerky stops, and bring rides to a complete stop before reversing direction or unlatching safety restraints for patron unloading.
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Tickets are carnival money. Stealing tickets is like stealing carnival money. We will prosecute.
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All tickets must be torn in half and put in the ticket bag, unless you are instructed to do differently. No tickets in pockets or elsewhere! No excuses!
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If a ride breaks down, direct customers to the office for replacement tickets.
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It is your responsibility to know show call time each day. Check the night before.
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Do not close your ride at night until told by a supervisor. The show closes uniformly, not by one person’s wristwatch.
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Do not depend on getting a draw. There is no set schedule or days for draws to be given out. Budget your money each week accordingly.
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It is your responsibility to show up each day clean shaven, in clean clothes, ready to work.
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POP. There are times when we will have a number of Pay-One-Price days. Every customer must be checked for a wristband! If they have no wristband they must have tickets.
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Do not go in search of a supervisor. You need only to go to the office, where the supervisor can be called.
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Rain Rules: Some rides cannot be operated in rain. If your ride is temporarily closed, you must remain with that ride. If that ride has no rain shelter you may take cover at the nearest sheltered ride or concession. You must be close enough to your ride so you are plainly visible to your supervisor. When the rain stops, immediately return to your ride and dry out the seats and give it a test run.
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Time of Rides: If your ride does not have a timer, check with your supervisor for length of the ride (or how many revolutions).
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Do not argue with customers. Refer all complaints to the office.
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Please remember that our customers & families have paid money to enjoy our show. Please treat them in accordance. pg. 8

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Check with the office each night for announcements before you leave the lot.
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Always think calmly and USE COMMON SENSE, it is your most important tool.
 Whatever the situation, the safety of our customers, yourself, and your fellow workers is the number one priority!
 If you have questions about anything covered here or otherwise talk to your supervisor about it, do not ask advice from anyone who is not a member of management, ignorance of the rules is not an excuse.
 Always be aware of how you look and appear to guests. Please do not slouch, prop your feet, or lean; and avoid talking at length or loudly with another operator about your social concerns.
 Remember that our guests ALWAYS come first. You may never insult, argue, be discourteous or use profane language in the presence of our guests.
 A SMILE is the most important part of your attire. Always smile and maintain a pleasant speaking voice when asking for cooperation from our guests. You will find it is much easier when you do not yell or scream.
 When a ride is shut down, our guests do not need to know the technical problems, but should be informed of the possible waiting time. Someone from the ride should stand at the ride entrance to inform guests and to offer possible alternatives if the wait will be lengthy. It is always a good idea to overestimate ride downtime rather than to underestimate it.
 During the day, try to keep the front of your ride as clean as possible by picking up garbage.
 If you do not know the answer to a guest’s question or are unable to handle a situation or resolve a problem, tell the guest you will put him/her in contact with someone who can.
 A basic rule to remember is this:
PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF THE GUEST AT YOUR RIDE.
DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? pg. 9

Pay Schedule for Employees
 All new employees will start at $ per week.
 Monday is the first day of the week and Sunday is the last day. PAYDAY is the following Wednesday of each week. {NO EXCEPTIONS}. If you quit in the middle of the week your paycheck will be mailed to you on pay day. {WED}
 Your first week ONLY, you may get an advance on your pay each night. This advance will be subtracted from your paycheck on Wed. Remember the more you draw, the less you will receive on payday.
 At hiring, you will receive two “red” uniform shirts that you will wear while operating a ride ONLY. Extra shirts will cost $20.00 each. When you leave the show you must turn in your 2 shirts before receiving your paycheck.
 After a few weeks of employment, you will be evaluated on your performance and attitude. If you apply yourself you will get a pay increase according to your work and skills.
 We will NOT tolerate drugs, drinking, or foul language on this carnival. If you do anything wrong, you will be expelled.
 You understand that this is a temporary job and that you are hired as an independent contractor. You will be responsible for your own taxes and insurance. {FICA, Federal & State taxes} pg. 10

This manual outlines areas that ride operators should focus on to ensure their safety and the safety of their riders.
I acknowledge receipt of this Ride Operator’s Handbook.
It is my responsibility to make sure I understand the content of this handbook.
I understand that the policies and rules contained in this book may not include all of the company procedures.
I understand that I am to keep this book for future reference and consult with my supervisor when in doubt for my personal safety and the safety of others.
I understand that I must report all unsafe conditions to my supervisor.
I understand that I will receive training on any equipment that I am required to operate and will participate fully in that training. pg. 11