Citing the need to review worker safety protocol, Disneyland temporarily closed down its popular theme park ride, Space Mountain, and two other attractions over the weekend. The review was a result of Disneyland having received citations from state regulators concerning employee safety.
On Friday, April 12, Disneyland received citations from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health that resulted in the Space Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds and Soarin' Over California attractions being closed down for review.
According to Disneyland Resorts spokeswoman Suzi Brown — as relayed by Associated Press — the closures of Space Mountain and other rides was "voluntary."
Brown added that Disneyland closing down its Space Mountain ride and other attractions was a matter of "an abundance of caution" on the part of the Anaheim, Calif. theme park that first opened on July 17, 1955.
"We constantly strive to maintain a safe work environment for our cast members and contractors — and we are reviewing certain protocols," Brown said.
A Disneyland worker, meanwhile, was injured back in November 2012 while he was conducting routine maintenance on the Space Mountain ride at the park. The rather ominous determination made by Cal/OSHA that referred to the park via citation was that Disneyland had failed to correct "known fall hazards" that existed on the exterior of the Space Mountain properly.
"Furthermore, Disneyland Resort failed to have approved anchorages or approved tie-backs for contract employees to attach to when performing scheduled exterior building maintenance," the Cal/OSHA description says.
Although the Matterhorn at Disneyland reopened as early as Sunday, April 14, Brown says the reopening dates of the other two rides currently under review for worker safety are not yet known.
Disneyland, which is owned by the Walt Disney Co., first opened Space Mountain at its Walt Disney Resort in Florida in 1975. It took two years and $20 million to open Space Mountain at the Anaheim Disneyland park on May 27, 1977.
The Matterhorn at Disneyland was the park's first "mountain" attraction, having been opened in 1959. Soarin' Over California is a simulator ride that is part of Disneyland's Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney World's Epcot Center. It opened Feb. 8, 2001.
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