UNSAFE FUN: ATTRACTIONS IN ARMENIA DO NOT UNDERGO TECHNICAL CHECK UPS
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan

ArmeniaNow
11.05.10 | 16:36

Social

Experts say Armenia needs an organization that would oversee the
situation with amusement parks (photo: Ashot Petrosyan, Nikolay
Grigoryan).

After four people were injured when an amusement park ride crashed
Sunday in Yerevan’s Victory Park, an investigation revealed that
most such thrill rides are not properly registered in Armenia. Such
rides should be registered with the National Center for Technical
Security of the RA Ministry of Emergency Situations, but most are
not. The attractions have not undergone inspection and in fact such
an inspection body does not exist.

The "Typhoon" ride that malfunctioned, seriously injuring two riders,
was owned by Teg company, against which a criminal case has been filed.

"Typhoon was put into operation a month ago, it was planned by
an unlicensed organization, by an individual, and it was installed
illegally," Vladimir Hovsepyan, Head of the Technical Security Service
of Yerevan.

Hovsepyan says that soon check-ups of all such attractions in Yerevan
will be held.

According to Ashot Petrosyan, Head of the National Center for Technical
Security of the RA Ministry of Emergency Situations, each park or
company is responsible for its own safety regulations. "They have to
have someone or an organization responsible for the fulfillment of
these functions," says Petrosyan.

According RA Ministry of Emergency Situations currently there are 47
amusement rides registered in Yerevan (though more exist) and only
13 of them have undergone a technical examination. None of the rides
in other towns of Armenia have undergone inspection.

Petrosyan says that besides the National Center for Technical Security,
there are three accredited companies in Armenia, which can determine
whether rides are safe.

Nikolay Grigoryan, head of public relations department at RA
Ministry of Emergency Situations, says that the poor situation in
the attractions’ examination and control sphere is the result of a
legislative shortcoming.

"There is no such organization which implements control and checking,
as well as realize disclosure of non-registered facilities which have
not undergone an examination," Grigoryan says.