DISNEY PRESSED FOR INJURY INFO.

Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer

BURBANK - A portfolio management group with a stake in The Walt Disney Co. has asked for a shareholders vote that could require the media juggernaut to publicly disclose its theme park injuries and settlements.

Harrington Investments Inc., a small Napa Valley-based firm, began sending letters to Disney last September requesting information about costs incurred from park injuries.

``We also wrote them in February and we still haven't gotten any response,'' said John Harrington, president and CEO of the investment company that manages more than $130 million in assets.

The company holds 5,000 shares in Burbank-based Disney and expects to see a vote via proxy around the annual shareholders meeting in March.

``We want to look at Disney a little more critically in terms of their medical response,'' Harrington said.

Disney officials acknowledged they've received Harrington's letters but haven't articulated their next move.

``As with any shareholder we will be in communication with Mr. Harrington to address the necessary procedural requirements,'' Disney said in a statement. ``The safety of our guests is of paramount importance to the Walt Disney Company and has always been one of the cornerstones of the operating practices and philosophy of our theme parks and resorts business.''

In October, Disneyland told ride attendants to directly call 911, rather than a park telephone center, after a 4-year-old boy from Santa Clarita was critically injured on Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.

For Harrington, instances like these have prompted him as an investor and parent to scrutinize Disney's policies regarding safety.

In 1997, a 17-year-old daughter of Harrington's friend was killed after she and several others crammed themselves onto a water slide in Concord. The slide collapsed, killing the girl.

While Harrington agrees there's personal experience tied to his motives, some industry experts don't believe Disney needs to spell out the cost of theme park injuries.

``All I care about is the financial impact, not who's winning lawsuits,'' said Laura Martin, an entertainment analyst with CS First Boston.

Martin said theme parks only account for about 30 percent of Disney's revenue, and losses attributed to settlements are probably less than $10 million.

For decades, the theme park industry has resisted oversight, leaving California officials with no right to inspect rides, be informed of accidents or investigate them.

In January 2000, California became the 41st state in the nation to regulate theme park rides, following two guiding principles: Parks must report accidents, and those involving serious injury are investigated, said Susan Gard, a spokeswoman with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Guard said amusement parks in California have to report all injuries and accidents. Once the injury is reported, the division will send investigators to the theme park.

``The program is up and running and it's working very well,'' said Len Welsh, special counsel with the division.

Parks began reporting accidents last year to OSHA's Anaheim District office, which covers Southern California. By year's end, seven were reported.

Disney shares declined 35 cents, or 1.4 percent, to close at $25.41 Wednesday.