When Warner Village Theme Parks needed to ensure their new SurfRider ride at Wet’n’Wild on the Gold Coast met legislative requirements for registration, they knew exactly who to get on-board for the project.

Having previously worked with Inaco’s National Safety Services Consultant Ken Robertson and the Inaco Brisbane team on the Bat Wing Ride, Warner’s Group Projects Manager Ken Spiller was confident that Inaco had the experience, products and service they required.

Ensuring the design of the ride safety system matched up with the outcomes of the risk assessment in line with Australian Standard guidelines proved no easy task.

With the ride vehicle having been modified to a surfboard shape, rather than the manufacturer’s standard skateboard shape, the design and creation of a specific platform and boom gate system had been required.

This was successfully done locally by FX Illusions and Richard Flanagan & Company, with the resulting platform and boom gate section designed around 2 Rockwell Automation control systems which interfaced with the ride’s original safety and control systems.

The MicroLogix1500 system provided control for the movement of the platform and boomgate components, while the SmartGuard600 system provided Category 4 monitoring of all safety critical elements including all the locks and the compressed air supply which powered all the platform and boomgate mechanisms.

With Ken Robertson working closely with the team on-site, Inaco assisted Wet’n’Wild in completing the detailed validation of both the ride and platform and boomgate safety systems and providing the necessary reports for submission to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland for the ride registration process.

Thanks to Inaco’s experienced service and the trusted reliability of Rockwell Automation products, the project was completed in time for Wet’n’Wild to enjoy great success as thousands of children enjoyed the thrill of a lifetime on the new ride over the school holidays.