Technical Safety BC shares clear calls to action for waterpark industry to increase safety

Incident investigation identifies opportunities to prevent future incidents after major injury of a child in 2024

Vancouver, BC (February 25, 2025) - Technical Safety BC has released a recent investigation report following an incident at a waterpark last summer that resulted in several injuries, including a major injury to a child. The learnings and recommendations from this investigation will help waterpark operators prevent this type of incident from happening again.

On the day of the incident, a fiberglass crack progressed rapidly on the surface of a tube slide, resulting in a sharp edge in the path of riders. When waterpark management was alerted to an issue with the tube slide and looked at the failure, the decision was made to close the slide. At that time, they were unaware that a previous injury had already occurred on the tube slide and decided to evacuate patrons down the slide. This is when additional injuries occurred, including a major injury to an 11-year-old.

Following the incident, Technical Safety BC initiated its investigation, and the tube slide remained closed for the rest of the season.

"One incident is too many, especially when a child is seriously injured. By sharing the findings from this investigation, we can support the waterpark industry in enhancing their safety and prevention measures,” says Ryan Hazlett, Technical Safety BC’s Leader, Incident Investigations. “This investigation report provides clear recommendations to waterslide owners to ensure their staff are properly equipped with the knowledge to identify hazards and respond appropriately."

The investigation determined that the crack had progressed because of deterioration of the waterslide flume (surface) and underground structure which left the fiberglass unsupported. Further, this sudden progression of the crack was not typical and occurred after the daily inspection. Staff did not have the knowledge or tools available to either detect the deterioration or know that it could progress into a hazardous failure so quickly.

Based on the findings of this investigation, Technical Safety BC has issued three specific recommendations to owners of waterslides on how they can work with contractors, manufacturers, and the waterslide industry to prevent this type of incident in the future.

These three recommendations are:

1. Waterpark owners update inspection procedures and training protocols so that slide defects like the ones identified in this incident can be detected before they present a hazard for riders.
2. That the changing conditions of the slide over time are identified and documented, so that owners can make good decisions around lifecycle management of their waterslides.
3. Waterpark owners train staff in proper hazard response procedures, including ensuring that no member of the public is allowed to enter, or progress down a slide where a hazard is suspected.

The waterpark owner is responsible for demonstrating the safety of the tube slide before Technical Safety BC provides approval for it to reopen. Technical Safety BC is sharing these findings with industry to ensure they have the information and support to make necessary improvements.

The full incident investigation report is published on Technical Safety BC's website.

About Technical Safety BC

Technical Safety BC is an independent, self-funded organization that oversees the safe installation and operation of technical systems and equipment. In addition to issuing licences, certificates, and permits it works with industry to reduce safety risks through assessment, education and outreach, incident investigations, and enforcement. For more information, visit www.technicalsafetybc.ca.

Media contact:
Technical Safety BC
media@technicalsafetybc.ca