They have become a gaudily coloured fixture of backyard birthday parties and fun fairs, one that would seem rather innocent.
Yet bouncy castles, blow-up slides and other inflatable play structures are responsible for a sharply rising number of fractures, cuts, concussions and other harm to children, suggests a new federal-government study.
FotoliaA young boy plays in an inflatable playground.
The study’s Public Health Agency of Canada author calls for re-design of the structures and more vigilant supervision of play to prevent mishaps, noting that many of their manufacturers in China and other Far Eastern countries are not even aware of Canadian safety standards.
Data collected from a sample of hospital emergency wards shows “an exponential increase in injuries,” concludes the report, published in an agency journal. About a third of them involved broken bones.
At least one Canadian city passed a bylaw this year to try to reduce risk around the blow-up toys, and insurance companies are warning clients to take care to avoid inflatable-play liability. Not everyone, however, is convinced the jiggly amusements pose a significant new threat to Canada’s children.
Despite the increase in numbers recently, the study found a total of 674 bouncy casualties over 20 years at the 15 hospitals that are part of an injury surveillance program – an average of just over 30 a year, noted Lenore Skenazy of Free-range Kids, a book, blog and movement critical of over-protective parenting.
Handout/ Joe KolemanAuthor Lenore Skenazy.
“Maybe it’s a few more now than in years past, because the bouncy houses are becoming more popular,” noted the New York City-based commentator. “[But] when 30 injuries in an entire country becomes an unacceptable risk, it is time to outlaw not only bouncy houses but stairs, bathtubs, curbs, cracks in the sidewalk and possibly all solid food.”
FotoliaA three-year-old boy jumps down the slide on an inflatable bouncy castle.
One of the dozens of companies now renting the structures to private individuals and groups voiced surprise at the study’s results. In a decade of business, AdventureMania Inflatables in Milton, Ont., has never had a report of serious injury, said Haley Chiappino, a company spokeswoman.
“If [children] follow the rules and they bounce and don’t do flips, and don’t land on each other … they are 100% safe,” she said.
Still, there have been some shocking incidents in other countries, often when wind has carried off one of the structures. An eight-year-old Irish child was killed in 2011 when a backyard castle went flying. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recorded eight deaths of bouncy players there, from age two to 24.
The Canadian study looked at data from a surveillance program that documents emergency department visits to 11 pediatric and four general hospitals.
Between 1990 and 2009, the number of inflatable injuries climbed an average of 25% per year, with almost half the casualties in the final three years. The rate of bouncy cases in the period 2000-2009 – 63 per 100,000 visits – was six times the rate between 1990 and 1999, the research found.
Fotolia The study found a total of 674 bouncy casualties over 20 years at the 15 hospitals that are part of an injury surveillance program – an average of just over 30 a year.
Bad landings accounted for 39% of injuries, ejection from the structure 31%, impact with another child 17% and attempting a somersault 4%, the report said.
About 34% involved broken bones, but the injuries ranged from bruises to concussions and three skull or face fractures.
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Much of the increase is likely attributable to the fact the play structures have soared in popularity, but more dangerous designs and changes in safety procedures may account for some of the trend, said the paper, headed by Steven McFaull, a PHAC researcher.
He suggests changes to the structures’ material, height, openings and anchoring systems to help prevent harm. The study also advocates stricter supervision of the play, in part to avoid overcrowding.
In London, Ont., city council passed a new bylaw this spring requiring that groups operating bouncy structures on municipal property have $5 million in liability insurance, rent from companies that are certified by a safety organization and use trained supervisors.
“We don’t want to kill people’s fun,” said Tony Kyle, a city official. “The policy is really designed to try to mitigate some of the most serious risks.”
The insurance industry is also advising clients to use the devices with caution, said Rob Jordan, a vice president with the Everest Insurance Company of Canada.
“Often it’s not being monitored as closely … as it should be,” he said. “We try to educate event organizers, ‘Take some precaution, then you don’t end up on the news.’ ”
National Post
tblackwell@nationalpost.com