Friday, March 29, 2024

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Danger with bouncy castles

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Strong winds lead to some horrifying moments for parents in upstate New York. The gusts sent an inflatable bouncy castle fifteen meters into the air — as three children were playing inside it. Two of them fell out and broke some bones. The incident has many parents wondering about the safety of inflatables — whether they’re used privately in backyards — or publicly at community events.

Well, the short answer here by licenced professionals is that if you follow the instructions properly, inflatables are fun and safe. But one Ryerson professor says they can be a serious health hazard.

It’s all fun and games until a gust of wind takes the bouncy castle you’re in for a ride you didn’t expect. Taylor Seymour was a witness to the New York incident: “It dropped the first little kid in the middle of the road. It came the other way, passed my apartment and dropped the second kid on the back of my car.”

Strong winds in upstate New York sent this inflatable bouncy castle flying high above the ground Tuesday. A girl and two boys were inside. The boys fell out and suffered broken bones. This isn’t the first time inflatables have been launched into the air or rolling across the ground by wind.

Kathryn Woodcock is with the School of Occupational and Public Heatlh at Ryerson: “Don’t assume just cause you can plug it in and make it go that you’re using it correctly.”

A Ryerson University professor warns parents to be cautious about letting their children use inflatables: “Any parent who shows up at an event where an inflatable is present needs to take a critical look at it and say does it look like it’s been certified. Do the operators look like they know what they’re doing?”

Niagara Inflatables and Games says they are licensed by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority also known as the TSSA. Their inflatables are staked to the ground. They have yearly inspections and will often rent out an operator with the unit.

Nancy Schappert is with Niagara Inflatles and Games: “Our staff is trained on how they should be used safely they monitor the weather and if there is an issue that comes up we address it. We have to have a permit.”

Some schools have banned the use of inflatables at their community events but the TSSA only reported 2 minor injuries in Ontario last year.

Nancy said: “Bouncers do get a lot of bad press and really, for example, compared to skiing last year in Ontario there were 2300 skiing accidents.”

When parents are renting an inflatable bouncer the TSSA says make sure you’re renting from a company that is licensed. If you’re buying one for private use, make sure you read the instructions carefully. A key tip is if winds are gusting at more than 40 kilometers an hour it’s time to put that bouncy castle away for another day.

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