Another injury was reported at Schlitterbahn. Why isn’t the investigation public?

Serious injuries are still a risk at Schlitterbahn.

Last August, a 46-year old woman from Lee’s Summit said she “hit her chest” while riding the Twister, described on the company’s website as a “high thrill” attraction where patrons ride a mat down a long chute.

The extent of the woman’s injuries was not available Wednesday, and the state has not released the full results of its investigation.

But news of an incident at the park suggests Kansas officials made the right decision this week when they announced plans for a full safety compliance audit of Schlitterbahn before the facility opens in May.

Kansas rules require amusement parks to report “serious” injury or death incidents. That likely means the woman suffered more than a scratch or a stubbed toe on the Twister.

The public has no way to know if the alleged injury was caused by an equipment malfunction, improper operation of the ride, or if the customer did something wrong.

In a statement sent late Wednesday, Schlitterbahn said the woman in the incident drew the attention of park staff after complaining of chest pains. The woman told the staff members she had suffered a previous chest injury.

She was taken to the hospital, where she was later released.

Schlitterbahn said it reported the incident to the Kansas Department of Labor, which conducted an investigation that closed in late August of last year about the incident, which took place roughly one year after 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was killed on the Verruckt water slide.

Thursday, the department declined to provide additional documents in connection with the case, asking the newspaper to submit an open records request instead.

The murky outcome in this case is a serious problem. If an injury report is filed at any amusement park, the state’s findings should be made public as soon as an investigation is completed.

Injuries at amusement parks are not particularly rare.

The National Safety Council estimates roughly 1,200 people were injured on fixed-site amusement rides in 2016.

Some were minor. Some were fatal.

We don’t think every park where an injury is reported must close. But Schlitterbahn, which now faces a criminal indictment, has a unique duty to prove to the public that it is safe.

That’s especially true because the indictment alleges that other injuries occurred on Verruckt before the fatality, injuries that — if addressed — might have prevented the tragedy.

That’s why we’re encouraged that the Kansas Department of Labor said Tuesday it will conduct a compliance audit of Schlitterbahn this year. The department will check the park’s records to ensure Schlitterbahn is following required standards.

The full results of that audit must be made public before Schlitterbahn opens its doors for the season.

This is no time for regulators and officeholders to back away from oversight of Schlitterbahn and all fixed-site amusement parks. We’re growing more concerned, for example, with the silence of the Unified Government on this issue.

A spokesman said this week the Unified Government has no authority to close the water park, even if it’s dangerous. If that’s right, commissioners should seek that authority from the Legislature.

Shockingly, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission is prohibited from regulating rides at fixed amusement parks. Oversight is left to state and local authorities. That should change, too.

A lack of rigorous supervision can lead to tragedy, and a false sense of security at fixed-site parks.

Park operators likely will resist such efforts. They should welcome them. If the public starts to believe amusement parks are unsafe, the business model will unravel pretty fast.

This story was originally published March 28, 2018 at 5:59 PM with the headline "Another injury was reported at Schlitterbahn. Why isn’t the investigation public?."