Bounce-House Birthday? A Fun Party Diversion Or an Accident Waiting to Happen?
They're everywhere you look.
These kid magnets are known by several names including, "bounce house", "moonwalk", or simply "inflatable".
You can find them at fairs, festivals, school yards and even churches.
The popularity of these amusement rides has exploded over the last decade.
Kids find these things irresistible.
And manufacturers are stoking their fascination by making them bigger and bouncier in all kinds of shapes.
Unfortunately, along with the rise in the popularity of the inflatable comes the inevitable increase in accidents and injuries involving both adults and children who use them.
According to the U.
S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission stats, the rise in injuries associated with inflatable amusement ride usage has shown a "statistically significant positive trend from 1997 to 2004.
" The newest numbers from the CPSC, which were last updated in 2005, are grim.
The CPSC reported four fatalities in inflatable-related accidents from 2002 to 2005.
In 2004, the most recent year for complete data, inflatable rides, such as inflatable slides and bouncers, accounted for an estimated 4,900 injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms.
Inflatable injuries can happen in numerous ways; kid's pileup on top of each other breaking bones or chipping teeth, they can catch a foot or hand in a rip or tear on a slide spraining an ankle, hand or foot or they can even be trapped inside when a unit deflates after a blower is unplugged or malfunctions.
According to the research organization, Ride Accidents, during this past summer the inflatable industry was hit by a number of mishaps.
At a festival in Ohio, an 11 year boy was blown 40 feet into the air inside an inflatable that got caught in a gust of wind.
Luckily, quick thinking bystanders were able to deflate the ride and the boy suffered only minor injuries.
A 17 year old Texas boy was paralyzed after landing on his neck while doing a flip on an inflatable.
And a 14 year old girl suffered broken bones after falling 26 feet through a rip in a large inflatable slide.
So, how do you let the kid's have fun in a bounce house, but safeguard their well being? Here are some simple tips for checking out the ride operator and his installation before letting your children crawl inside an inflatable at your next backyard birthday.
1) Do not let price be a consideration when hiring an operator to rent and setup a ride.
Cheaper is not always better.
Often times it's not.
2) The operator should be insured and be willing to supply a copy of the insurance certificate.
3) They should provide you with safety measures that you will implement during the time you have possession of the inflatable.
4) The installation should look as follows: a) The inflatable should be placed on a tarp to protect its bottom from sharp objects.
b) The unit should be staked down or heavily weighted down with sand bags.
c) If the ride has stability straps, all of them should be individually anchored to the ground and not to the blower or a close by vehicle.
d) The unit should be set up on level ground.
e) There should be no rips or holes visible.
f) Make sure the unit is fully inflated and not sagging anywhere.
g) The blower should be placed so it cannot be unplugged, deflating the unit.
h) The operator should instruct you on all operating safety procedures verbally, and should leave printed instructions as well.
5) After the operator leaves, you should do the following: a) Be sure an adult attends the unit at all times.
b) Keep Children age 3 and under OUT of the unit.
c) Make sure all children are grouped according to their SIZE.
d) Do NOT exceed the maximum ride capacity at any time.
e) Perform safety checks of the equipment frequently during use.
f) Turn the blower off and get the children off the unit during inclement weather or winds over 20 mph.
g) Follow posted safety rules all the time.
By following this advice, you can reduce the risks of injury to your child and your party guests when playing in an inflatable.
Remember, inflatable birthday fun is serious business.
Safety must be the first thing on everyone's mind at all times!
These kid magnets are known by several names including, "bounce house", "moonwalk", or simply "inflatable".
You can find them at fairs, festivals, school yards and even churches.
The popularity of these amusement rides has exploded over the last decade.
Kids find these things irresistible.
And manufacturers are stoking their fascination by making them bigger and bouncier in all kinds of shapes.
Unfortunately, along with the rise in the popularity of the inflatable comes the inevitable increase in accidents and injuries involving both adults and children who use them.
According to the U.
S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission stats, the rise in injuries associated with inflatable amusement ride usage has shown a "statistically significant positive trend from 1997 to 2004.
" The newest numbers from the CPSC, which were last updated in 2005, are grim.
The CPSC reported four fatalities in inflatable-related accidents from 2002 to 2005.
In 2004, the most recent year for complete data, inflatable rides, such as inflatable slides and bouncers, accounted for an estimated 4,900 injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms.
Inflatable injuries can happen in numerous ways; kid's pileup on top of each other breaking bones or chipping teeth, they can catch a foot or hand in a rip or tear on a slide spraining an ankle, hand or foot or they can even be trapped inside when a unit deflates after a blower is unplugged or malfunctions.
According to the research organization, Ride Accidents, during this past summer the inflatable industry was hit by a number of mishaps.
At a festival in Ohio, an 11 year boy was blown 40 feet into the air inside an inflatable that got caught in a gust of wind.
Luckily, quick thinking bystanders were able to deflate the ride and the boy suffered only minor injuries.
A 17 year old Texas boy was paralyzed after landing on his neck while doing a flip on an inflatable.
And a 14 year old girl suffered broken bones after falling 26 feet through a rip in a large inflatable slide.
So, how do you let the kid's have fun in a bounce house, but safeguard their well being? Here are some simple tips for checking out the ride operator and his installation before letting your children crawl inside an inflatable at your next backyard birthday.
1) Do not let price be a consideration when hiring an operator to rent and setup a ride.
Cheaper is not always better.
Often times it's not.
2) The operator should be insured and be willing to supply a copy of the insurance certificate.
3) They should provide you with safety measures that you will implement during the time you have possession of the inflatable.
4) The installation should look as follows: a) The inflatable should be placed on a tarp to protect its bottom from sharp objects.
b) The unit should be staked down or heavily weighted down with sand bags.
c) If the ride has stability straps, all of them should be individually anchored to the ground and not to the blower or a close by vehicle.
d) The unit should be set up on level ground.
e) There should be no rips or holes visible.
f) Make sure the unit is fully inflated and not sagging anywhere.
g) The blower should be placed so it cannot be unplugged, deflating the unit.
h) The operator should instruct you on all operating safety procedures verbally, and should leave printed instructions as well.
5) After the operator leaves, you should do the following: a) Be sure an adult attends the unit at all times.
b) Keep Children age 3 and under OUT of the unit.
c) Make sure all children are grouped according to their SIZE.
d) Do NOT exceed the maximum ride capacity at any time.
e) Perform safety checks of the equipment frequently during use.
f) Turn the blower off and get the children off the unit during inclement weather or winds over 20 mph.
g) Follow posted safety rules all the time.
By following this advice, you can reduce the risks of injury to your child and your party guests when playing in an inflatable.
Remember, inflatable birthday fun is serious business.
Safety must be the first thing on everyone's mind at all times!