Space Mountain closed: a serious injury to a worker prompted a citation by the state that could lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
The Space Mountain roller coaster is one of three rides that temporarily stopped running over the weekend, as Disneyland officials reviewed safety regulations after citations.
The citations were received Friday from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
The closures Saturday of Space Mountain, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Soarin' Over California were voluntary and were made out of an abundance of caution, Disneyland Resorts spokeswoman Suzi Brown said Sunday.
“We constantly strive to maintain a safe work environment for our cast members and contractors — and we are reviewing certain protocols,” she said.
A contractor’s employee was “seriously injured” while helping maintain the Space Mountain coaster, according to a description of the complaint. Disneyland failed to correct errors in safety patterns after a report in August 2006.
“Furthermore, Disneyland Resort failed to have approved anchorages or approved tie-backs for contract employees to attach to when performing scheduled exterior building maintenance,” says the description.
The Matterhorn reopened Sunday; it is unclear how long the other rides will stay closed.
Space Mountain is a ride in Disneyland that simulates a blast-off into space—a NASA astronaut helped design it. The ride opened in January 1975.
Gordon Cooper, the astronaut, “wanted to make sure that the attraction incorporated information gleaned during NASA’s early space missions and that the experience felt like actual space flight,” according to Disneyland’s website. The ride became so popular it is part of every Disney Resort around the world.
This particular Space Mountain, and Matterhorn, are at Disneyland in California. Soarin' Over California, a simulated hang-glider flight, is at Disney California Adventure.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
