Children should always take the necessary safety precautions when entering a bouncy house. They should remove their shoes, goggles, jewelry, and any sharp objects from their pockets. It is also important to keep children away from the entrance, exit, and sides or walls of the bouncy house. Unlike other similar bounce devices, such as trampolines, medical literature and public policies on the safety of inflatable booths remain limited.
There are currently no federal safety standards for bouncy houses; they differ by manufacturer and policies may vary by state. Bouncy houses are not inherently dangerous beyond any normal children's game. In fact, they are one of the safest options, but they can be used incorrectly. With that in mind, it is important to understand the safety guidelines for bouncy houses, big and small, for children of all ages.
To ensure your child's safety when playing in a bounce house, it is essential to follow all safety guidelines provided by ASTM. Bouncy houses should always be anchored to the ground with sandbags or stakes, and should always be monitored by an adult. The age and number of children participating in your event will determine the size of the bouncy house you should rent or if you should rent more than one. Most injuries in inflatable games are due to inappropriate play, so make sure that whoever supervises can monitor the level of activity and stop any excessive activity.
In addition to following safety guidelines, it is important to be aware of potential risks associated with inflatable houses. Some exposed surfaces in a bouncy house on a day of more than 90 degrees can get very hot and that can pose a risk of burns for children. A recent study led by Choc found that the frequency and rate of pediatric injuries in inflatable houses have increased steadily since 2000. In the past two decades, researchers found nearly 500 injuries and nearly 30 deaths not only due to incidents involving inflatable houses related to high winds, but also due to errors in the configuration of popular toys.
Children are smart; they can think of numerous ways to play in a bouncy house that put themselves or others at risk of injury, simply because it seems like fun to them at the time. To prevent such tragedies from occurring again, researchers created a website to document weather-related injuries to inflatable houses and provide safety tips to the public. Gill and his colleagues catalogued at least 28 deaths and 479 injuries in more than 130 climate-related inflatable house incidents around the world, figures that, they say, are likely to underestimate the problem. In conclusion, bouncy houses are not inherently dangerous beyond any normal children's game.
However, it is important to take all necessary safety precautions when using them. Bouncy houses should always be anchored to the ground with sandbags or stakes and monitored by an adult. In addition, it is important to be aware of potential risks associated with inflatable houses such as hot surfaces on days with high temperatures. Finally, it is essential to follow all safety guidelines provided by ASTM.
