Adult bumper cars reopen at Gibraltar Fair after safety inspections 

The adult bumper cars attraction at the Gibraltar Fair reopened on Wednesday night after being inspected and cleared for safe operation following reports of eye irritation among visitors. 

Gibraltar Cultural Services (GCS), on behalf of the Ministry for Culture, confirmed the reopening after the GHA reviewed a number of patients on Tuesday who attended with symptoms of eye irritation. 

The Director of Public Health, Dr Helen Carter, said none of the patients who attended A&E and saw the ophthalmologist had any permanent eye damage. 

She said that, in most cases, microscopic foreign bodies were removed from the eyes through irrigation.  

Dr Carter said it is unknown what exactly the foreign bodies were due to their size and could have been dust.  

“We don’t know what was removed as it was so tiny,” she said. 

Also, the foreign bodies cannot be tested as they are microscopic. Dr Carter added that the microscopic particles had caused eye redness, pain, and irritation.  

She added that there was a similar instance which took place last year at the Malaga fair. 

The attraction was fully inspected by Government-contracted Fair Inspectors on Wednesday, including structural, mechanical and electrical engineers and an independent health and safety officer. 

Amendments were also made to the ride, including the removal of the dry ice used by the smoke machines and the replacement of all iron rods pertaining to each bumper car. 

The inspections were carried out in the presence of the Director of Public Health, GEA senior management and representatives of the Government’s Chief Technical Officer. 

“I would like to thank our GHA colleagues who assessed and treated the young people yesterday with eye irritation,” Dr Carter said. 

“I am reassured that there have been no cases of permanent eye damage identified to date.” 

“Eye irritation or ‘fair red eye’ is a known risk following riding on fast fairground rides.” 

“If anyone experiences symptoms of pain, irritation or itching of the eyes that lasts more than a couple of hours please contact 111 for advice and they will determine if an A&E assessment is required.” 

GCS said the health and safety of the public remained the priority and that the attraction and entire fairground would continue to be monitored daily as normal.