Ben Sheldon, F24 committee chairman (front row, fourth from left), Katerina Koperna, ASTM F24 staff manager (front row, fifth from left) and Liu Fei, ASTM's chief representative in China (front row, first from left), met with representatives from Shenzhen OCT East prior to the committee's meetings to review the F24 standards and discuss their park and operations.

ASTM International Committee F24 on Amusement Rides and Devices hosted nearly 80 delegates at their June meeting in Hong Kong, China. Committee F24 continues to host international meetings, bringing together industry stakeholders from around the globe to review and discuss the technical content of their standards. Because the F24 standards are so widely used, it is important for the committee to understand the different needs in each region and ensure the standards meet those needs.

Additionally, in the interest of maintaining safety in the industry, the committee takes a strong interest in educating all interested stakeholders in common practices that encourage safety in park operations and maintenance. The meeting in Hong Kong and outreach in mainland China come at a time of industry growth on the continent with the anticipated opening of almost 40 new parks by 2020. The committee will likely host future meetings in China over the next few years.

Emmett Peter, chairman, Subcommittee F24.24, reviews sections of standard F2291, Practice for Design of Amusement Rides and Devices, and discusses upcoming revisions with nearly 80 stakeholders from China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Switzerland, Canada and the U.S.