Experts have revealed the reasons why some roller coaster accidents are inevitable weeks after a woman was hit by a roller coaster while trying to retrieve her phone from the track.
Shylah Rodden, 26, was thrown nine meters into the air after being hit by the Rebel Coaster, which was traveling at speeds of 70km/h, at the Melbourne Royal Show on September 25.
It is understood Ms Rodden dropped her phone while on the slide and entered the tracks of the high-speed ride to retrieve her device.
The chair of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety, Naomi Kemp, told Daily Mail Australia that some accidents are inevitable because ‘there is always a person who can do the unexpected’.
Shylah Rodden (pictured) is in a medically induced coma after being hit by a roller coaster on September 25. It is believed that Mrs Rodden entered the pitch to collect her mobile phone
“Many of the ride injuries and incidents we see are children not wearing seat belts or buckled in properly, or faulty mechanisms, so the ride itself is to blame.” said Mrs. Kemp.
“In this scenario, it’s not actually the operation of the ride itself that was unsafe, but the impact on a pedestrian.
“We don’t just have to think about the safety of the ride, but also the safety area around the ride in which it runs.”
Ms Kemp explained that established theme parks have permanent structures in place that limit public access to roller coaster paths, while mobile parties and shows use ‘simple barriers or fences’ that can be easily bypassed.
“At shows and parties they usually put up the simple barriers or fences, but that’s not really going to stop anyone jumping over them or walking in while the ride is going,” Ms Kemp said.
‘We have to think about this situation, which is really difficult when you’re at a show and you’ve got young children and there’s a lot of uncontrollable members of the public in one area.’
The certified occupational health and safety professional said driving operators need to go through the ‘last line of defence’ to ensure the area is clear.
“There’s also the management of the barriers and the slide area,” Ms Kemp said.
“Ride operators have to go through the process of ‘have we got it all clear to work?’ and ‘is the zone clear?’
“It’s what we call administrative controls or rules or processes to manage the last line of defense.”
The 26-year-old was thrown nine meters into the air after she was hit by the Rebel Coaster at the Melbourne Royal Show (the image 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 hit the tracks, Ms Kemp urged the public not to blame ride operators or victims of roller coaster accidents.
“We’re really not trying to blame the worker or any 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 was proving difficult, particularly at pop-up shows and parties
‘Obviously Ms Rodden made a decision to go into the room to retrieve her phone, but from a professional perspective we have to understand that there is a chance that someone could make that decision.
‘We have to figure out how we can try to prevent that and prevent anyone from being able to make that decision.’
It is understood WorkSafe is now investigating what the wheelchair operators were doing when Ms Rodden entered the tracks.
On the day she was hit by the slide, Ms Rodden had been working in a friend’s stall at the Melbourne Royal Show.
The couple had been on a break when they decided to go on a few trips to pass the time.
On Tuesday, a Royal Melbourne Hospital spokeswoman confirmed Shylah’s condition was now listed as serious rather than critical.
The extent of her injuries remain unclear and her family – who were dealing with the death of her older brother just two months before the incident – are bracing for the possibility that she may never speak again.
Mrs Rodden (pictured) is in a serious but stable condition, but the extent of her injuries is still 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 a while,” he said.
– The damage is terrible. Terrible. She is brain damaged. It’s the pelvis, her arms, legs, back, neck – there’s hardly a thing that isn’t broken. I just can’t figure out how the hell so much damage was done.
“Even the doctors have said they haven’t seen anything this bad in a long time.”
ONE GoFundMe was set up to help Mrs Rodden’s family pay for the treatment and care of the 26-year-old, who allegedly suffered massive brain damage in the accident.
The foundation has received 301 donations totaling $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 remains our number one priority” (pictured, Royal Melbourne Show)
A Melbourne Royal Show spokeswoman claimed “the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show remains our number one priority”.
Safety watchdog WorkSafe is in the process of determining whether this statement is true.
The slide that hit her reopened a few days after the incident.
Show management declined to comment on whether new safety procedures had been adopted in its wake.
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 through their website.