Safety inspectors are buzzing about the fairgrounds ahead of the start of the Tulsa State Fair on Thursday.
Oklahoma is one of the few states where state inspectors must sign off on amusement rides, and that’s handled by the Oklahoma Department of Labor. They’ve been on site since Monday and will approve every one of the nearly 70 rides being set up before fairgoers get on. Inspectors look at every component of a ride, down to checking individual bumper cars for correct fuses.
"We had a couple of guys that had to be up in a man lift checking the big Ferris wheel and watching it make its revolutions, and checking the bolts and all of the connections that go around it. We actually found a couple of issues that they're having to correct now before we can open that ride," said labor department Safety Standards Division Director Jim Williams.
Williams said Tuesday afternoon inspectors had given just 10 rides the green light so far, but they have started inspecting most of the rides at the fairgrounds. Williams said there are fewer rides this year than during the last fair in 2019. The 2020 fair was canceled over concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
The Tulsa Health Department has food safety inspectors at the fairgrounds to license those vendors. THD expects around 165 this year. That’s also fewer than normal, but Food Protection Services Manager Debrena Hilton said inspectors are keeping busy with thorough reviews of vendors’ food handling, equipment and sanitation practices, and checks will continue throughout the fair’s 11-day run.
"This being a full-on Tulsa State Fair, right, yes, we are down in numbers regarding our vendors, but we've pulled in our whole team from the Tulsa Health Department to assist us with licensing and verifications throughout the course of the fair," Hilton said.
If people have concerns about food they’ve bought from a fair vendor, they should fill out a complaint form on THD's website, tulsa-health.org. If they suspect foodborne illness, they should call 918-595-4300, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
