blog home Amusement Park Accident Disneyland Rides Temporarily Shut Down Amid Safety Concerns

By Renee Nordstrand on April 25, 2013

Disneyland temporarily shut down its Space Mountain roller coaster ride and two other rides after it received word that the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA) had issued several safety citations to the company.

The citations were issued after an employee for a Disney contractor fell while cleaning the exterior of Space Mountain in November 2012. According to The Los Angeles Times, the worker suffered several broken bones as a result of the fall.

The L.A. Times reports that Cal-OSHA has fined the Disney contractor $60,995 as a result of the worker’s injuries. Earlier in the week, the agency proposed a nearly $235,000 penalty against the theme park in connection with the fall.

A statement on Cal-OSHA’s website indicated that Disney had completed a fall assessment report in 2006, but had done nothing to “adequately address” the fall hazards that existed on the exterior of Space Mountain. The park was cited for seven violations — three of those were willful serious violations, while another was a serious violation.

A Disneyland Resort spokesman insisted that the temporary closures of Space Mountain, the Matterhorn, and Soarin’ Over California rides were voluntary and were implemented in order to “maintain a safer work environment for our cast members and contractors.”

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