Efteling must reinstate 21-year-old Bryan from Oosterhout as operator of the Baron 1898 roller coaster at Efteling within two weeks. The subdistrict court in Tilburg determined this on Thursday. The Oosterhouter was removed from his position after a former colleague pressed the start button of the roller coaster twice.
The management of Efteling had demoted Bryan to attractions employee instead of operator. He was also briefly suspended and received an official warning. This happened after two former colleagues stopped by on November 28 and wanted to press the start button in the control room again.
The operator allowed them to sit behind the controls of the roller coaster for a while. One of the guests took a seat in the operator’s chair and ordered a train to depart twice at the push of a button. Bryan, who was cleaning outside the control room, also came to say hello.
Everything went smoothly and none of the daredevils on the roller coaster noticed anything. But when the management of Efteling found out, they couldn’t laugh about it. Bryan and Walter were suspended, received an official warning and were demoted from operator to ‘attractions employee’.
Bryan started talking to his managers, but the matter escalated. And so Bryan saw no other option than to file summary proceedings and reclaim his job as an operator.
During the hearing last Wednesday, the judge tried to get the two parties to reach an agreement. But because that failed, he had to make his own judgment.
Five operators ensure safety at the attraction (Photo: ANP).
According to the subdistrict court, Efteling rightly attaches great importance to safety requirements. The Baron 1898 is a huge machine in which people move around at high speed. For safety reasons, only trained people are allowed to operate the controls. He concluded that Bryan misjudged the situation.
If Bryan had simply reported the incident, management would not have taken it so seriously. Efteling wants to see that an operator knows the safety requirements.
But the judge also found that not Bryan, but the operator who was already in the control room, was the main culprit. Bryan came in later, but received the same punishment. Efteling could have suspended him for a while, but that is taking too long now. The biweekly conversations that the team management was supposed to have with Bryan never took place and Efteling did not want Bryan to take a new exam until May 31.
Bryan just wants to do his job and he is entitled to that, according to the subdistrict court judge. He has functioned satisfactorily as an ‘attractions operator’ for many years. In an earlier incident he also acted according to the book.
He has shown that he has a sense of responsibility and that is why Efteling must reinstate him as operator within two weeks of the ruling. However, he will have to take some kind of exam before he starts again.
The judge did not consider it necessary to impose a penalty. He trusts that Efteling will voluntarily cooperate with this ruling.
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2024-04-11 14:16:20
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