Midway Moments: Veteran inspector gets O.C. Fair ready for a safe ride

If Al Scanlan does his job right, nobody at the Orange County Fair will notice.

That’s not to say his duties aren’t important. They are — crucially so.

It is to say that if Scanlan and his colleagues dot every “i” and cross every “t” and no one gets hurt and there’s no other major incident, it’s a job well-done.

Scanlan is a field inspector with Coulter Associates LLC, a Bloomingdale, Ind.-based company that provides safety oversight for carnival rides everywhere.

On Thursday morning, about 24 hours before Friday’s start of the 127th annual O.C. Fair in Costa Mesa, Scanlan was wrapping up final inspections for the 70-some rides at Orange County’s biggest event. Much of the work had been done in the days before, but he noted that some rides needed more work and he would remain on hand after opening day to handle anything that comes up.

With more than four decades of experience, Scanlan, 64, is quite the veteran of his trade. Born the son of a Montana newspaperman, Scanlan started in the carnival business while in high school in Arizona. He’s basically never left it.

“I’d like to say I’ve learned at least something during that time,” he said with a smile.

The job has taken him around the world and keeps him on the road often. Though Scanlan lives in Santa Maria, he’s out 10 months of the year. Before coming to the O.C. Fair, he was at the San Diego County Fair and did a stint for the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas.

Much of his career has been with Coulter, but for several years he was maintenance director at Neverland Ranch, singer Michael Jackson’s Santa Barbara County retreat noted for its rides and zoo.

Scanlan knows Jackson’s personal legacy is mixed. But his experience with the late pop icon wasn’t, he says.

“He was probably one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met,” Scanlan said.

Looking over a ride is a busy affair. The ones at the O.C. Fair are owned and operated by RCS, short for Ray Cammack Shows.

A lot of people look at RCS’ equipment — Scanlan, state inspectors and RCS staff. Each ride has a foreman who does daily inspections.

Printed in large font on the back of RCS employees’ T-shirts is the message “Be safe!”

On Thursday, Scanlan stood on the Twister, a sleek spinning ride, going through the types of things he’s on the lookout for.

There are the obvious: nuts and bolts in their proper places; no protruding sharp objects or frayed electrical wiring; safety harnesses that work.

Then there are the less obvious: Are the safety signs visible — the ones that say to keep hands and arms in the moving vehicle at all times? Is the gate surrounding the ride sturdy? Is the line area ready to handle an influx of people?

What Scanlan doesn’t do much of, at least not anymore, is ride the rides.

“Most of the thrill rides give me a headache,” he lamented.

Apparently, the carnival industry doesn’t use human guinea pigs to ride attractions over and over to test them. With machinery and sensors that can detect g-forces, it’s much more scientific and precise, Scanlan said.

Speaking of rides, Scanlan said that if there’s one thing he’d like to tell fair visitors — other than that the attractions are safe — it’s this: Don’t make children ride something they don’t want to.

Forcing squirming kids to go on a spinner or roller coaster isn’t a grand idea, he says.

And don’t forget to read those safety signs.

Editor’s note: Midway Moments is a recurring column chronicling the Orange County Fair.

IF YOU GO

What: 127th annual Orange County Fair

Where: OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa

When: Friday through Aug. 13

Hours: Noon to midnight Wednesdays through Fridays; 11 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and Sundays

Cost: General admission: $12 Wednesdays through Fridays and $14 Saturdays and Sundays. Senior citizens 60 and older and children ages 6 to 12: $7 daily. Parking: $10 for cars, $20 for buses and limousines. Admission and parking are free from noon to 3 p.m. opening day.

Information: ocfair.com/oc-fair

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint

ALSO

First-day visitors to Orange County Fair find a lot to like

Unicorn, fried, sweet and hot: We taste the OC Fair food

Knights in live action: OC Fair welcomes full-contact jousters for first time

With O.C. Fair fast approaching, here’s your guide to ‘Farm Fresh Fun’