Experts have revealed the reasons why some rollercoaster accidents are unavoidable weeks after a woman was hit by a rollercoaster while trying to retrieve her phone off the track.
Shylah Rodden, 26, was thrown nine metres into the air after being struck by the Rebel Coaster, which was travelling at speeds of 70km/h, at the Melbourne Royal Show on September 25.
It’s understood Ms Rodden dropped her phone while on the rollercoaster and walked onto the tracks of the high-speed ride to retrieve her device.
Chair of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety Naomi Kemp told Daily Mail Australia some accidents are unavoidable because ‘there’s always a human that might do the unexpected’.
Shylah Rodden (pictured) is in a medically induced coma after being hit by a rollercoaster on September 25. It’s believed Ms Rodden walked onto the track to retrieve her mobile phone
‘A lot of the amusement injuries and incidents we’re seeing is kids not wearing seatbelts or being harnessed in correctly, or faulty mechanisms so the ride itself is the fault.’ Ms Kemp said.
‘In this scenario it’s actually not the operation of the ride itself that was unsafe but the impact of a pedestrian.
‘We not only have to think about the safety of the ride but also the safety area around the ride that it’s operating in.’
Ms Kemp explained established theme parks have permanent structures in place restricting public access to rollercoaster tracks, while moveable fetes and shows use ‘simple barriers or fencing’ that are easily bypassed.
‘At shows and fetes, they’re usually setting up the simple barriers or fences, but that’s not really going to stop anyone from jumping over them or walking in while the ride is operating,’ Ms Kemp said.
‘We need to think about this situation, which is really difficult when you’re at a show, and you have little kids, and there are a lot of uncontrollable members of the public in the one area.’
The certified Occupational Health and Safety professional said ride operators have to go through the ‘last line of defence’ to ensure the area is clear.
‘There’s also the management of the barriers and rollercoaster area,’ Ms Kemp said.
‘Ride operators need to go through the process of “have we got the all clear to operate?” and “is the zone clear?”
‘These are what we call administrative controls or rules or processes to manage that last line of defence.’
The 26-year-old was thrown nine metres into the air after she was struck by the Rebel Coaster, at the Melbourne Royal Show (pictured, is a grab from footage, which Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to publish, of Ms Rodden approaching the ride)
Despite Ms Rodden’s decision to walk onto the tracks, Ms Kemp urged the public to not blame ride operators or victims of rollercoaster accidents.
‘We really try not to blame the worker or a member of the public,’ Ms Kemp said.
Chair of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety Naomi Kemp (pictured) said enforcing safety rules around risk areas proved difficult especially at pop-up shows and fetes
‘Obviously Ms Rodden did make a decision to go into the space to retrieve her phone but from a professional perspective we need to understand that there is a chance that someone may make that decision.
‘We need to figure out ways to try and prevent that and stop someone from being able to make that decision.’
It is understood WorkSafe is now investigating what the ride’s operators were doing when Ms Rodden made her way onto the tracks.
On the day she was struck by the rollercoaster, Ms Rodden had been working at a friend’s stall at the Melbourne Royal Show.
The pair had been on a break when they decided to go on a few rides to kill time.
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman from the Royal Melbourne Hospital confirmed Shylah’s condition was now listed as serious rather than critical.
The extent of her injuries still remain unclear, with her family – who were grappling with the death of her older brother just two months before the incident – bracing for the possibility she may not ever speak again.
Ms Rodden (pictured) is in a serious but stable condition however, the extent of her injuries still remain unclear
Ms Rodden’s father told Daily Mail Australia his daughter was placed in a medically induced coma and has suffered life-changing injuries.
‘I can’t talk to my daughter. She’s going to be in a coma for quite a while,’ he said.
‘The injuries are horrific. Horrific. She’s brain damaged. It’s pelvic, her arms, legs, back, neck – there’s hardly a thing that’s not broken. I just can’t work out how the hell so much damage has been done.
‘Even the doctors have said they haven’t seen anything as bad as this for a long time.’
A GoFundMe was set-up to help Ms Rodden’s family pay for treatment and care of the 26-year-old who has allegedly sustained massive brain damage in the accident.
The fund has received 301 donations totalling $13,040 and hopes to raise $20,000.
A Melbourne Royal Show spokeswoman claimed ‘the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show continues to be our number one priority’ (pictured, the Royal Melbourne Show)
A Melbourne Royal Show spokeswoman claimed ‘the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show continues to be our number one priority’.
The safety watchdog WorkSafe is in the process of determining if that statement is true.
The rollercoaster that struck her reopened just days after the incident.
Show management declined to comment on whether new safety procedures had been adopted in the wake of it.
The Royal Melbourne Show has set up a support service for anyone suffering from trauma as a result of the incident, which can be arranged via their website.
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