Raising the Bar on Ride Safety: Hedgehog’s Contribution to the New ASTM F3598 Standard

We are proud to announce that Andreas Huster, Hedgehog’s Director of Engineering Support, played a key role in developing the newly approved international standard for amusement ride risk assessment.

Last week at the IAAPA Expo, amid the excitement of new attractions and innovations, a significant milestone for industry safety was celebrated. ASTM International Committee F24 announced the approval of a crucial new standard: F3598 Standard for Amusement Ride Risk Assessment.

What is ASTM F3598?

The amusement industry thrives on pushing boundaries and creating thrilling experiences. However, as innovations accelerate, the methods for ensuring safety must keep pace.

The new F3598 standard provides a formalized framework for estimating, evaluating, reducing, and documenting risks associated with how personnel and the general public interact with amusement rides and devices.

While drawing on proven risk assessment practices from the general machinery industry, F3598 is specifically tailored for the unique challenges of amusement attractions. As noted by task group member Joe Van Dam, the standard addresses an environment where “thrills are high and the people interacting with the attraction are mostly untrained and have a lower tolerance for risk.”

Critically, this new standard supports innovation by providing producers with a clear methodology to prove a system is safe, applying to both the development of brand-new rides and modifications to existing ones.

A Collaborative Achievement

The development of a rigorous international standard requires deep expertise, diverse perspectives, and a tremendous amount of effort. Andreas Huster’s involvement in the core task group underscores Hedgehog’s dedication to leading the way in engineering safety and support.

We want to extend a special congratulations to the entire task group for the years of work that went into this achievement, including Joe Van Dam, Kevin Russell, Philipp Geering, Kelly Johnson, Roman Hauer, and Tom Elsworth. We also thank Franceen Gonzales, ICAE, for her leadership along the way, and the Premier Rides team (Jim and Sara Seay) for hosting the celebration of this milestone at IAAPA.

Looking Ahead: Your Feedback is Needed

The approval of F3598 is a major step forward, but the work continues. The task group is actively seeking input from the industry as this standard is put into practice. They are particularly interested in hearing from users regarding any challenges faced when applying the new standard, as well as suggestions for resolution.

At Hedgehog, we are excited to see how F3598 will enhance safety on amusement rides. If you have questions about how this new standard might affect your upcoming projects or existing installations or if you need help with developing a risk assessment according to F3598, please reach out to our engineering support team.

Read more about it on the ASTM website: https://www.astm.org/news/amusement-ride-risk-assessment