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This guide will also be useful to production teams intending to film or record sequences on such rides, either by presenters or by contributors, at public fairground parks and travelling fairs.

What do we mean by 'Fairground equipment'?

Any constructed equipment which people either ride in, or on top of, where the motion created by the design and/or operation of the equipment is provided for entertainment purposes. This includes a wide range of ‘rides’, such as helter skelters, bouncy castles, giant swings, dodgems and roller coasters. It also includes coin-operated children’s rides.

What do I need to check when hiring fairground equipment?

In general, all fairground equipment needs to be designed and manufactured to suitable safety and engineering standards, be in good working order on the day of use, and operated by trained personnel working to approved Operating Manuals / specific risk assessments. The Operators of the equipment also need to be appropriately insured. To ensure it is in good working order, all Operators are required to carry out and log annual safety inspections of the equipment – these should be readily available for hirers to see.

Our Fairground Rides - Safety Checklist lists the safety checks to be made when hiring in this type of equipment.

Do I need to be aware of anything else?

For safety reasons, there will likely be some constraints or restrictions on who can use the equipment, which might be important to you – for example, age or height restrictions on users. Those with health conditions which may be affected by the nature of the ride will probably opt themselves out, but fitness to participation should be considered where appropriate. Also for safety reasons, weather conditions may impact on when the equipment may be operated, for example, many rides have to cease operation when designated wind speeds are reached, or when the air temperature is below freezing. Again, our Safety Checklist will ensure you ask the right questions of your Operator.

Is the size of the ride I’m hiring important?

Large rides for hire will come apart so they can be moved on public roads by a standard HGV lorry, though you’ll need to make sure these will have access to the event site, the ground conditions are suitable and the ground can support the gross weight (for example, temporarily covered trenches).

Once operating, some fairground rides swing out and will require a much larger footprint in which to operate safely than might first appear – important if you are mapping out an event site with more than one such ride. If the ride is to be used in an indoor premises, or one with suspended flooring / staging, make sure the floor can take the weight. Again, our Safety Checklist will ensure you ask the right questions of your Operator.