Dreamworld inquest told staff were told by management to shut down rides if they failed three times in day instead of two
A DREAMWORLD maintenance supervisor delivered shocking new evidence as the inquest into the Thunder River Rapids disaster resumed today
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DREAMWORLD team leaders were told to shut down rides if they broke down three times in one day in an order which came down from a management meeting, the inquest into the Thunder River Rapids Ride disaster has heard.
Dreamworld maintenance supervisor Stephen Murphy was the first to take the stand as the second round of hearings got underway at the Southport Coroner’s Court today.
The inquest is examining what happened just before 2pm on October 25, 2016 after a pump stopped working on the Thunder River Rapids Ride, causing water levels to drop and a raft to become stuck on the conveyor belt.
That raft was hit by another carrying Luke Dorsett, his sister Kate Goodchild, her daughter Ebony, 12, Roozbeh Araghi, Cindy Low and her son, Kieran, 10.
The four adults were killed. The children escaped uninjured.
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Mr Murphy was this morning asked why the breakdown policy had changed from shutting the ride down after two incidents to three.
“It was passed down from the management meeting that we would do it that way,” Mr Murphy said.
He told the inquest he did not recall when the order had been made and no explanation had been given.
The Thunder River Rapids Ride had already broken down twice on the day of the tragedy when the south pump stopped working.
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Mr Murphy also told the inquest he never checked an emergency stop button on the control panel of the Thunder River Rapids Ride because he did not know what it did.
“That is not part of our pre-operational checks,” Mr Murphy said.
Mr Murphy said he would occasionally check the fast emergency stop button a few metres away from the panel.
“I know the e-stop on the unload that stopped the conveyor because I used that in my morning checks,” Mr Murphy said.
“One of our tests is to check to see if planks or bolts were coming undone. I would use the e-stop (to stop the conveyor).”
In June ride operator Courtney Williams told the inquest she was standing next to that e-stop button at the time of the incident but did not know what it did.
The inquest has previously been told the e-stop on the control panel took longer to stop the conveyor belt than the fast emergency stop button.
Mr Murphy said ensuring rides were safe to operate was “beaten into” staff at Dreamworld.
Mr Murphy, who was a maintenance team leader the day of the tragedy, told the inquest rides would not operate unless the maintenance staff gave them the okay.
“The ride does not start until the problem is rectified,” Mr Murphy said.
He said there was no pressure to clear rides.
Mr Murphy told the inquest it was a “badge of honour” for a maintenance crew member to find a problem.
“It’s a bit of a competition to try and find problems,” he said.
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Mr Murphy said supervisors were given handover sheets at the start of each week explaining problems found.
He said the previous day’s maintenance problems were also posted on a whiteboard.
Earlier counsel assisting the coroner Ken Fleming told the court Arden Leisure safety manager Angus Hutchings was applying to be treated under special provisions.
The provisions would mean he would not be allowed to be prosecuted for anything he reveals during the inquest.
Coroner James McDougall said he would hear the application in full tomorrow morning.
Mr Hutchings is not expected to give evidence in this sitting.
He is expected to be called in November.
About 22 witnesses are expected to give evidence over the next two weeks, mostly from senior management levels at Dreamworld.
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