SCENARIO

You are the newly-hired health and safety adviser for an amusement park. The park employs 90
permanent workers and 500 temporary workers (many of whom are students from the local college).
There are permanent attraction managers (AMs) and shift supervisors; with the workforce covering
the day and evening shifts. There is also a park CEO who spends most of their time in their office,
occasionally walking around the park speaking to the AMs. So far, the CEO and AMs have been too
busy to meet you.
This year the park CEO wants to win the ‘Amusement Park of the Year’ award. This award is judged
on the number of visitors, as well as service satisfaction ratings. The CEO has told the AMs that if the
park does not win the award, permanent staff roles will be reviewed. The AMs manage one attraction
each, and have told the shift supervisors and workers to keep the attraction queues moving by any
means necessary. Any worker who causes a delay will be given a verbal warning.
The Haunted House
This Halloween, the park has reopened its haunted house attraction, after it had been closed for a year
for renovations. The attraction’s AM brought the reopening deadline forward by one month, but this
did not give the contractors enough time to complete the renovation. Therefore, the park used their
own workers and in-house maintenance team to help the contractors. Double shifts were worked by
all workers to meet the new reopening deadline.
The attraction looks like a dimly-lit, 200-year-old derelict house, and has a maze built on the inside.
As visitors move through the Haunted House, they pass by cobweb-covered props, horror scenes, and
animatrons that suddenly move when the visitors are nearby. Some workers jump out of dark corners
to scare visitors, and others stand behind fake corridor walls making sound effects.
The public are especially excited that the attraction is reopening. More temporary workers than usual
have been hired for the attraction, and given basic job training by the shift supervisors. The new
workers are given a 10-minute induction tour of the Haunted House and its backstage areas. This is
followed by 15 minutes of job training. Most of the workers will be acting as zombies in the
attraction, with others backstage making sound effects. Only a few workers will be operating
mechanical props; these workers will receive separate training before carrying out the task. All the
workers are shown where the exits are for each room and are given a map of the attraction. At the start
of their first shift, everyone is given a newly-printed leaflet called ‘What to do in a fire’. This is
available in several languages. The AM relies on their shift supervisors to remember what type of
training each worker has received.
The new hydraulic monster
During the renovation, a large hydraulic monster was installed in the haunted house attraction. The
monster is operated from a control panel located in a dimly lit area, behind a fake wall. The monster
lunges out from the fake wall, pauses, and then quickly returns to its previous position. Only trained
workers are allowed to operate it. An access gate to the hydraulics area is located to the left of the
control panel, which separates the operator from the hydraulics area. A safety protection device is
fitted to the gate that disables the hydraulics when the gate is open. The hydraulics area is also
equipped with a small light that turns on when the gate is opened.
At first, only the most experienced shift supervisors were trained to operate the hydraulic monster and
were expected to subsequently teach the other supervisors and relevant workers. The supervisors
developed a safe system of work (SSOW) for operating the hydraulic monster. Some of the workers
did not fully understand the SSOW and asked for clarification. The supervisors were extremely busy
when the attraction opened and were often difficult to locate. Those who could be found told workers
that they would help ‘soon’ but were not able to assist them before the shift ended. Some supervisors
requested more time from the AM to conduct extra training sessions, but this was dismissed by the
AM as “a waste of time”. After three days of requests the workers and supervisors stopped asking.
One week after the reopening date of the Haunted House it has become the park’s main attraction.
During the day shift, the safety protection device on the hydraulic monster’s gate stops working. The
day supervisor contacts the maintenance team by hand-held radio, but is told it cannot be fixed until
the park closes that night. The day supervisor informs the AM, who then tells the workers not to use
the hydraulics monster until it is fixed. During the shift handover, the day supervisor tells the evening
supervisor that the hydraulic monster is “not working properly”. The day supervisor has written a
report and left it on the monster’s control panel. The day supervisor leaves quickly because they want
to revise for an exam the next day.
The accident
The evening supervisor has recently been promoted and this is their first shift as a supervisor. They
eagerly begin with a behind-the-scenes walk-around before going to find the report. When they arrive
at the control panel, they notice the monster is not being operated, but they know this sometimes
happens during shift changes. The supervisor is not able to read the report due to the lack of light in
the current location and tries to activate the monster, which appears to be working properly; this
confuses the supervisor.
They remember seeing another supervisor using the small light in the hydraulics area, which is
activated by the safety gate, so they decide to do the same. They open the gate and reach in with the
report to read it. At the same time, the hydraulic monster returns to its starting position, which crushes
the supervisor’s hand. The supervisor’s cries for help are easily mistaken by workers and visitors as
part of the attraction’s atmosphere. After several minutes, the supervisor remembers their hand-held
radio and calls for help.
The worker, who receives the call, quickly responds by locating the injured supervisor and helps to
free their hand. The shocked worker then looks for the park’s first-aider, but the first-aider is already
dealing with a minor accident. As the supervisor’s hand is starting to swell, they ask the worker to
take them to the local hospital. Once there, the supervisor finds out that some of their fingers will
require amputation.
As soon as the AM is informed of the accident, they call the park CEO. The park CEO tells them to
padlock the safety gate on the hydraulic monster, so that the haunted house attraction can continue to
be used, and an investigation can begin in the morning. The AM padlocks the gate and places an ‘out
of order’ sign on the monster’s control panel.
Early the next morning, the park CEO asks you to carry out an accident investigation. The CEO hints
that they would like the investigation to be carried out quickly. You are alarmed by this attitude and
strongly argue that the investigation must be thorough. You ask why the investigation did not begin
yesterday. The park CEO replies that “health and safety is your responsibility” and “you do not work
evenings”. You also ask if anyone filled out the accident book last night, but do not receive an answer.
The CEO is concerned that this accident could affect the park’s image and ruin any chance at winning
the ‘Amusement Park of the Year’ award. They joke that the Haunted House may truly be haunted
because this is another injury to add to its history.
Task 2: Determining uninsured costs incurred from the accident
What possible uninsured costs could the amusement park incur from this accident?
(12)
 Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the
scenario.
Task 2: Determining uninsured costs incurred from the accident
Question 2

1. 1)Medical Expenses: The park may be responsible for covering the

medical expenses of the injured supervisor, including emergency
treatment, hospitalization, surgeries, medication, and rehabilitation.
These costs can add up significantly depending on the severity of the
injuries and the required medical interventions.
2.
3. 2)Workers' Compensation: If the injured supervisor is entitled to
workers' compensation benefits, the park may have to provide financial
support for their lost wages during the recovery period. This can include
both temporary disability benefits and potential long-term disability
benefits if the injuries lead to permanent impairment.
4.
5. 3)Legal Expenses: The accident could result in legal ramifications, such
as personal injury claims or lawsuits filed by the injured supervisor or
other affected parties. The park may need to hire legal representation to
defend against these claims and cover legal fees and court costs.
6. 4)Reputation Damage: The accident could negatively impact the park's
reputation, leading to a decline in visitor numbers and decreased
customer satisfaction. This may result in reduced revenue and potential
loss of future business opportunities.
7. 5)Safety Improvements and Compliance Costs: To prevent similar
accidents in the future and ensure compliance with health and safety
regulations, the park may need to invest in safety improvements,
equipment upgrades, additional training programs, and other measures.
These costs can be substantial depending on the extent of the necessary
enhancements.

8. 6)Staffing and Recruitment: If the accident raises concerns about the

park's safety culture or management practices, it may face challenges in
attracting and retaining qualified staff. The park may incur additional
costs related to recruiting and training new employees or implementing
measures to improve employee morale and satisfaction.
9. 7)Insurance Premiums: Following the accident, the park's insurance
 premiums may increase as a result of higher perceived risk and the need
to maintain adequate coverage. This can lead to long-term financial
implications and ongoing expenses.
10.8)Loss of Awards and Recognition: The accident and subsequent
negative publicity may diminish the park's chances of winning the
'Amusement Park of the Year' award, potentially resulting in missed
opportunities for positive exposure and industry recognition.
11.9)Regulatory Penalties: If the accident is found to be a result of non-
compliance with health and safety regulations, the park could face
penalties or fines imposed by regulatory authorities. These penalties
would be separate from any potential legal liabilities.
12.
13.10)Employee Morale and Productivity: The accident could impact
employee morale and productivity, leading to decreased efficiency,
increased absenteeism, and potential turnover. These factors can result
in additional costs associated with managing and addressing workforce
issues.
14.11)Customer Compensation: In certain cases, if visitors were directly
affected by the accident or if the park is found liable for any damages,
the park may need to compensate affected customers for injuries,
medical expenses, or other losses incurred.
15.
16.12)Crisis Management and Public Relations: The park may need to
engage in crisis management and public relations efforts to address the
accident, reassure the public, and rebuild trust. These activities can
involve hiring external consultants, investing in communication
campaigns, and managing media relations, all of which come with
associated costs.