January/February 2020

PE Report
OSPE Advocacy Makes a Difference:
PEs Gain Voice in Amusement Ride Safety

SENATOR LOUIS W. BLESSING III, P.E., AN OSPE MEMBER, SPEAKS TO HIS FELLOW SENATORS ABOUT THE BILL.

In 2017, the opening day of the Ohio State Fair turned tragic when the “Fireball” ride broke apart midoperation. Eighteen-year-old Marine recruit Tyler Jarrell lost his life and seven others were injured in the incident, blamed on excessive corrosion.

Following the tragedy, the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers spent more than two years advocating for the inclusion of a PE in amusement ride safety in the state. Finally, this November, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed “Tyler’s Law” (H.B. 189). It makes a number of changes for amusement ride safety, such as strengthening inspection standards, and places a professional engineer on the Ohio Advisory Council on Amusement Ride Safety.

The advisory council provides safety recommendations to the state’s director of agriculture, such as on ride monitoring and inspection. The PE will serve as an ex-officio member, not voting but participating in meetings and offering expert advice.

OSPE PAST PRESIDENT DAVID DEXTER, P.E., F.NSPE, PRESENTS HIS TESTIMONY BEFORE THE OHIO SENATE AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2019.
PHOTO CREDIT: NBC4 WCMH-TV

Senator Louis W.  Blessing III, P.E., (R-Cincinnati), an OSPE member and former state representative, cosponsored “Tyler’s Law” with Representative John Patterson (D-Jefferson) when Blessing served in the Ohio House. He also championed Tyler’s Law in the Ohio Senate, and the bill passed that chamber 30-0.

OSPE members with expertise in structural engineering, mechanical engineering, and corrosion also provided testimony to legislative committees. Past President David Dexter, P.E., F.NSPE, was one participant. As he explains, over the years, government agencies have reduced oversight of amusement ride safety for budget or operational reasons, leaving it in the hands of ride manufacturers and operators. He calls it “the fox watching the hen house approach.” The public deserves proactive and independent review, he says.

The professional engineers testifying, explains Dexter, reminded legislators that PEs are “legally and ethically obligated to protect the public health, safety, and welfare above all other concerns,” which is unique to professional engineering. The testimony also highlighted the guiding principles of NSPE’s Code of Ethics.

Says OSPE Vice President of Legislative and Government Affairs Joe Warino, P.E., F.NSPE, “The testimony, I believe, was overwhelming.”

Tyler Jarrell’s family welcomed OSPE’s participation, Warino says, and was supportive of a PE’s involvement—which he says helped push the measure over the finish line.

OSPE members’ presence at the hearings was also critical, says Warino. That’s the message he’d like to share with others advocating for the PE’s role in protecting the public: “It does make a difference, your voice.”

Access PE’s July/August 2018 feature article on amusement ride safety and PE involvement, “Hidden Dangers?”