BOUNCY CASTLES – JUMPING FOR JOY
Every parent or caregiver wants their child’s birthday party to be one to remember, and a huge amount of planning goes into these occasions.Careful thought and preparation ensures that no detail is missed and there’s a list for just about everything.Shopping lists, drinks lists, activity lists, lists of prizes, gift lists… the list is endless (pardon the pun !)
But there is a list that is possibly the most crucial one, yet it’s often ignored.It’s the safety checklist.
Many parents get stressed out abouit birthday parties, especially with the responsibility of looking after a number of kids.Children can behave unpredictably especially when they are excitable, and accidents do happen.Put your mind at ease by going through a full safety checklist before the party starts.
There’s no compromise on safety and it’s even more critical when there’s a physical activity on the go at the party, such as a jumping castle.
The following safety hints come from a Perth jumping castle hire company which has years of experience in the industry.Soxon Jumping Castles have a huge range of inflatables, including the latest licenced Disney, TV and mvie themed jumping castles and their advise was as follows. “The majority of accidents occur through a lack of supervision or bad supervision, so it’s a good idea to print out this checklist and go through it before the party starts.”
ALWAYS
• Hire jumping castles from a reputable company
* Ask to see the safety certificate of the equipment
* Make sure there’s a safety switch to the power supply
* Ensure that a trained operator sets up the equipment and if possible, supervises the activity or at least, trains a responsible adult to do so
* Monitor the weather – the castle should not be used in winds over 25 knots
* Double check the anchorage system is completely secure
* Do a thorough check to see if there’s any obvious wear and tear on the equipment.
• Use surround safety mats at the entrance and exit of the bouncy castle
• The surface area that the castle is going on should be at least 900mm wide, ideally grass but it can be another hard surface, such as concrete.Sand is not suitable.
* The blower has to be at least 1.2 metres from the inflatable
* Make sure there aren’t any sharp objects near the unit
* Remove all hard items of clothing and accessories, such as belts, shoes etc that could cause injury or damage the jumping castle
• And the number one rule : ensure the bouncy castle is supervised by a responsible adult AT ALL TIMES
• Deflate the bouncy castle after use to avoid unsupervised use
• Ensure that the operators have public liability insurance
NEVER
* Don’t allow younger children to jump at the same time as older, bigger children
* Don’t allow users to climb up the walls of the castle
• Don’t deflate the castle while in use
• Don’t throw objects onto the inflatable
• Don’t deliberately put water on the inflatable (ie. with a hose or bucket of water). Soxon Castles advise that jumping castles can be used in the rain, but caution that the surface will be more slippery.Their equipment all has a built-in rain and sun cover.
Soxon is also of the view that jumping castles with so-called safety barriers should be avoided. Their opinion is that these barriers are dangerous because they collapse when someone leans on them, possibly causing injury.Their recommendation is for bouncy castles to have a step or a ramp.
These safety tips from the Perth bouncy castle hire company are bound to make your party a sky-high success!