Child Help Desks and Safety Officers Mandatory in Kerala Amusement Parks

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed that the appointment of Child Help Desks and Child Safety Officers shall be mandatory in all amusement parks across the state. The Commission took this significant decision while acting upon an application filed by S. Gautam, a resident of Kurichakkam in Kozhikode. The Commission clarified that the responsibility to prevent accidents in amusement parks and to protect the lives and health of children lies with the parents, park operators, and the administration.

The Commission's division bench, comprising Acting Chairperson Cicily Joseph and member Shajesh Bhaskar P., stated that amusement park operators must have rides inspected by technical safety experts and obtain safety certificates. It is imperative that this inspection process be conducted by experts at regular intervals. Furthermore, experienced staff must be deployed at every ride, and safety centres as well as locking mechanisms must be kept operational.

According to a report by The Hindu, the Commission has instructed that child safety signage and safety instructions be installed at every ride in a manner that children can easily understand. Specifically, appropriate safety facilities must be ensured in every ride for children with disabilities. In the event of any safety lapse, it shall be mandatory to display the name and details of the responsible licensee in the park. Additionally, every park must have arrangements to provide immediate medical treatment in emergency situations such as accidents.

The Commission emphasised that all amusement parks in the state must strictly adhere to the directives previously issued by the Kerala High Court and the Local Self-Government Department. The applicant had pointed out in his application that amusement park rides are mostly used by young children, yet despite government guidelines and court judgments, safety of rides is not ensured in many parks.

Moving forward in this direction, the Secretary of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, the Superintending Engineer of the Public Works Mechanical Division, the Director of Kerala Fire and Rescue Services, and the Principal Director of the Local Self-Governments Department (LSGD) will have to form a high-powered committee in collaboration with technical inspection agencies. This committee will prepare safety guidelines and child safety protocols for rides. The committee will also organise campaigns on child safety in collaboration with the parks, the implementation of which will be the responsibility of the Principal Director of the LSGD.