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Tuesday 12th March 2019
From the archive: Just so you know, this article is more than 3 years old.
M&D Leisure pleaded guilty to breaching reg 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found it had failed to ensure the rollercoaster was maintained in efficient working order and good repair.
On 26 June 2016 a train on the Tsunami rollercoaster at M&D's theme park in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, was descending through a curve immediately after a 5 m lift hill when it derailed, and five cars crashed to the ground.
Weld repairs on the axels of the ride were inadequate and unsound, the HSE said.
Inspector Martin McMahon was quoted by the BBC as saying: "We found nine out of the ten axles on the Tsunami had been given this weld overlay repair and in the end six of them detached from the ride causing it to crash."
The company was fined £65,000 at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday (8 March).
McMahon said in a statement: "Our investigation found the company failed to ensure the Tsunami rollercoaster was properly maintained and the result of these poor maintenance procedures led directly to its catastrophic failure.
"It is imperative that all controllers of fairground rides have thorough maintenance procedures in place to ensure that the public are safe when they are enjoying the thrills at a fair or the theme park."
