New requirements for amusement rides

In 2017, a 6-year-old child tragically died on an amusement ride in Victoria. After an inquest, the coroner made recommendations to strengthen the safety of amusement operations. To enact these recommendations, the OHS Regulations have been amended and now include new requirements relating to specified amusement rides.

• All amusement rides, including those designed before 1 July 1995, set out in Schedule 2 of the OHS Regulations must be design registered and item of plant registered to operate in Victoria.
• WorkSafe has the power to refuse to register an amusement ride design or item of plant for certain reasons, such as if the necessary information is not provided or if the ride, or its design, is unsafe.
• For design registration applications made on or after 29 July 2026, both the applicant and the person making the design verification statement must reside in Australia. This requirement does not apply to interstate design registrations granted before 29 July 2026, even if a certificate of interstate recognition is sought in Victoria after that date.
• An application for initial or renewal of item of plant registration must include, among other details, a statement not more than 12 months old that the amusement ride has been inspected by a competent person and assessed as being safe to operate. The OHS Regulations clarify that a competent person means someone has relevant engineering qualifications and knowledge of the applicable technical standards.
• WorkSafe has the power to withdraw amusement ride design or item of plant registrations for certain reasons, such as if false or misleading information was given as part of the application or if the design or ride is unsafe, or for item of plant registrations, if the registration holder has not complied with a condition of the registration.
• Employers and self-employed persons with the management or control of specified amusement rides must keep the amusement ride’s operating and maintenance manuals and logbook with the amusement ride and available to WorkSafe for inspection at all times.

The changes come into effect on 29 July 2026.

See When are registrations and interstate (design) recognitions required? for transition periods.

No, these changes only apply to specified amusement rides.

Under the OHS Act, operating an amusement ride at a workplace without valid registrations is an offence that may result in penalties.

To prepare for upcoming registrations, you can create a myWorkSafe account (if you don’t already have one). 

For a step-by-step guide on how to create a myWorkSafe account, please download the How to create a myWorkSafe account guide.

Create myWorkSafe account

Download ‘how to’ guide

Amusement rides operating in Victoria are subject to registration requirements under the OHS laws.

An amusement ride can be operated at a workplace in Victoria once:

• the design is registered or a certificate of interstate (design) recognition is issued (where applicable) for the design, and
• the individual amusement ride is registered as an item of plant.

Design registration

Yes. WorkSafe may recognise a design registration issued by another Australian state or territory by issuing a certificate of interstate recognition if the design is:

• registered by another Australian state or territory under requirements that are substantially equivalent to Victorian requirements; and
• meets the specific WorkSafe criteria that apply to design registration.

WorkSafe may ask for supporting documents.

If interstate (design) recognition is granted, WorkSafe will issue a certificate of interstate (design) recognition, certificate which can be used to apply for item of plant registration in Victoria.

Item of plant registration

No. Each amusement ride that operates in Victoria must be item of plant registered with WorkSafe.

Design registration and certificate of interstate (design) recognition

The changes to the OHS Regulations include requirements that all amusement rides designs, including those prepared before 1 July 1995, must be design registered or have a certificate of interstate (design) recognition with WorkSafe to operate at workplaces in Victoria.

• Rides designed on or after 1 July 1995
  • These rides already must be design registered before they can operate in Victoria.
  • If a ride designed on or after 1 July is design registered in another Australian state or territory, a certificate of interstate (design) recognition must be issued by WorkSafe before the ride can operate in Victoria. This requirement starts on 29 July 2026.
• Rides designed before 1 July 1995
  • Design registration, or a certificate of interstate (design) recognition, is required by 1 November 2027.

Design registration and certificates of interstate (design) recognition do not expire.

You need to provide evidence of a design registration or certificate of interstate (design) recognition when you apply for item of plant registration for an amusement ride.

Item of plant registration

The changes to the OHS Regulations include a requirement that each individual amusement ride must be item of plant registered.

• For amusement rides designed on or after 1 July 1995, item of plant registration is required from 30 October 2026.
• For amusement rides designed before 1 July 1995, item of plant registration is required by 1 November 2027.

If an application is submitted before the requirement to be item registered starts on 1 November 2027 and has not yet been decided by that date, the amusement ride is treated as meeting the requirement while the application is being assessed by WorkSafe.

Item of plant registration is issued for 12 months and must be renewed to continue to operate the amusement ride.

The person who uses or has management or control of an amusement ride at a workplace is responsible for ensuring the required registrations are in place.

A person must not use an amusement ride at a workplace unless the ride has a valid design registration or certificate of interstate (design) recognition and is item registered.

All applications for registration of amusement rides are managed via a myWorkSafe account through the WorkSafe website.

To login into an existing account or to create a new myWorkSafe account, visit myWorkSafe.

Design registration applies to the design of a type of amusement ride, for example a particular pirate ship ride design, drop tower design, or roller coaster design.

All amusement rides specified in Schedule 2 of the OHS Regulations must have design registration or a certificate of interstate (design) recognition. This requirement applies to both previously exempt amusement rides designed before 1 July 1995 and amusement rides designed after 1 July 1995.

For design registration applications made on or after 29 July 2026, both the person applying for design registration and the person making the design verification statement must live in Australia.

A design registration:

• can apply to multiple rides built to the same design,
• needs to be in place before an individual amusement ride can be registered as an item of plant, and
• is not an approval or endorsement by WorkSafe that the ride is safe.

If the amusement ride design is registered with another Australian work health and safety authority you will be required to apply for interstate (design) recognition.

If it is not, you will be required to apply for design registration.

The application may be:

• submitted by the applicant; or
• lodged on behalf of the applicant organisation by another person (for example, the design verifier or an agent).

The design verifier is the person who prepares and signs the design verification statement.

Their role is to independently verify that the design complies with relevant published technical standards or engineering principles.

The same person or organisation may act as both the applicant and the design verifier for a design registration application, provided they are appropriately qualified and competent to perform both roles.

Design registration or certificate of interstate (design) recognition:

• New registration $336.20
• Altered design registration $336.20
• Interstate fee $0.00

Item of plant registration applies to each specific amusement ride that’s been built using a registered design.

Each amusement ride must be registered separately, even if identical to other rides.

Yes. Each individual amusement ride must be item of plant registered (separate to design registration). Item of plant registration lasts 12 months and must be renewed annually.

These requirements apply to amusement structures specified in Schedule 2 of the OHS Regulations.

An application for item of plant registration or renewal may be completed by any person, including for example:

• owner
• operator
• designer
• importer or
• authorised agent.

An application can be completed by someone else on the applicant’s behalf. The item of plant registration is granted to the applicant named in the application, not the person who submits it.

It is important to ensure that:

• the correct applicant is nominated,
• all required information and statements are provided, and
• the applicant meets any identity or account requirements required to submit the application (for example, through myWorkSafe).

Note: The obligation to ensure the amusement ride is correctly registered rests with the person who uses or has management or control of the ride at the workplace, regardless of who the applicant is or who submits the application.

The competent inspection statement confirms that:

• the specific amusement ride has been inspected by a competent person (see below); and
• assessed by that person as safe to operate.

A competent inspection statement must be submitted for an application for initial item of plant registration and an application for renewal of item of plant registration.

The competent inspection statement – item of plant relates to the individual amusement ride, not the design.

If you undertake inspections and provide statements confirming an amusement ride is safe for the purpose of item of plant registration applications, you should ensure that you meet the requirements to be a ‘competent person’.

For the purposes of item of plant registration applications, a competent person is someone who has:

• appropriate educational or vocational qualifications in a relevant engineering discipline, and
• knowledge of the technical standards relevant to the inspection of the item of plant.

The competent inspection statement – item of plant is required when applying for initial item of plant registration or renewal of item of plant registration for an amusement ride.

The competent inspection statement – item of plant must be no more than 12 months old at the time the application is submitted.

Item of plant registration:

• New registration/permit $90.80
• Renewal fee $90.80
• Amendment $23.50

To speak to an advisor, contact WorkSafe Advisory service on 1800 136 089. The line is open Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:30pm.

For resources to help you safely manage and operate amusement rides. Visit WorkSafe amusement rides for further information.

You can report it to WorkSafe Victoria online or by calling our Advisory service on 1800 136 089. The line is open Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:30pm.