Resources

Free Safety Resources

Educational articles, checklists, industry guidance, and introductory materials—open to anyone working in the carnival industry.

Library

What you'll find here

Resource content is being developed. Categories below show how the library will be organized.

Getting started guides

Introductory material on ride records, qualification tracking, and daily readiness routines.

Checklists

Printable and mobile-friendly starting points for opening, closing, and setup checks.

Industry guidance

Plain-language explanations of common recordkeeping and documentation practices.

Articles

Short educational pieces on maintenance discipline, training, and transportation planning.

Glossary

Terminology used across ride records, inspections, maintenance, and dispatch.

Templates

Document starting points operators can adapt to their own programs.

CSI resources are educational. They are not regulations, standards, or a substitute for the requirements of your jurisdiction or ride manufacturer.

Industry guidance

Before you book a carnival ride provider

For event organizers: five things to settle with a ride company before the contract is signed, and who can actually answer each one.

Who you are dealing with

Get the legal business name, who owns the ride, and how long the company has operated the rides you are booking. Ask for recent events of a similar size whose organizers you can call.

Insurance documentation

Ask for a current certificate of insurance showing liability coverage and policy dates, and whether your organization or venue can be named as additional insured. Confirm the certificate with the insurer named on it, not only with the operator.

Inspections and permits

Requirements differ by state, county, city and venue. Ask which inspections and permits apply to your event, who obtains each one, and when. Where a state inspects portable rides, ask to see the current inspection paperwork for the ride itself.

Setup and the site

Each ride needs a footprint, level ground, truck and trailer access, clearance from overhead lines, power or generator fuel, fencing and queue space. Walk the site against the operator's requirements before you sign, and agree a weather and wind plan.

Talk to the owner-operator

Speak with the company that owns and runs the ride, not only an intermediary. Agree in writing who sets up, inspects each day, operates and tears down, and who you reach on the day.

Finding operators

Most ride companies are small and regional. Independent directories such as Carnival Ride Rental list rides from operators across the U.S. so organizers can discover and contact the companies directly. Use a directory to find who to call; use the questions above to decide whom to book.

CSI does not inspect, certify or endorse ride companies, including those listed on Carnival Ride Rental; a listing is not a safety record. The answers above come from the operator's own documents, its insurer, and the inspection authority for your jurisdiction. CSI is a safety management platform on which operators keep their own records.

CSI Press

Looking for books and manuals?

Professional publications, training manuals, and industry references are available through CSI Press.

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