Queensland has introduced tougher safety rules for amusement rides after the deaths of four people at Dreamworld.

The State Government says Queensland amusement rides and theme parks will be subject to tougher safety requirements that set world-class, best practice safety standards.

The new measures come in response to a malfunction of the Thunder River Rapids Ride at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, which resulted in the deaths of four people.

“The tragedy at Dreamworld shocked and saddened us all,” Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said.

“We are taking action to ensure tourists and the wider community have faith in the safety measures that are in place.

“We are making these changes before the current coronial process is finalised because we are prioritising safety. We have made the Coroner aware of the changes.

“When the Coroner hands down his final report and recommendations, we will examine it closely and make any further changes we may need to.”

The new safety regulations will amend existing work health and safety laws to:

  • Mandate major inspections of rides by qualified engineers every ten years
  • Improve competency and training of ride operators
  • Mandate proper recording of inspections, maintenance and operator competency
  • Mandate a new Safety Case and Licensing System for major amusement parks
  • The new, stricter requirements would start on May 1 with a transition period of up to two years for certain matters

Ms Grace said the amendments set new standards that are world’s best practice for the industry.

“This will provide certainty for consumers and tourists and consistency across the industry,” she said.

“We have also employed three extra engineers within Workplace Health and Safety Queensland to oversee these strict new requirements.

“We announced we’d be making changes along these lines in August last year and have been consulting with key stakeholders.”

Under current regulation, regular inspections of amusement rides are already required.

The new requirements also mean a qualified engineer will need to take a ride offline for a number of weeks to conduct the major inspection involving a thorough examination of critical components and, if necessary, stripping down the device.