Bounce houses can be endless fun for
children, but lately there have been deaths occurring while children were
in the Bounce house. Since the number of deaths have grown should there
be stiffer regulations regarding Bouncy houses?
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| bouncy house rental |
I have watched children playing in
Bouncy houses. They really seem to enjoy it, but when I hear about
high winds lifting a Bouncy House off the ground and a toddler dying
as a result, I become quite alarmed. Children need to be in a safe
environment. What can be done to keep them safe when playing?
Bounce House Created
According to en.wikipedia.org the first
inflatable structure was designed in 1959 by Scurlock in Shreveport,
Louisiana. It is further added that in 1986 his son expanded the
rental concept throughout the United States to include the “Space
Walk” and “Inflatable Zoo. “
Statistics
Did you know that Bounce houses injure
a United States child every 46 minutes? That is according to CBSnews.com. They further add that Dr. Gary A. Smith, director of the
Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's
Hospital stated, “The medical and public health community has yet
to provide recommendations on the safe use of inflatable bouncers,”
Deaths
According to the Beasley Firm in 2006 two children were killed and 13 injured when the inflatable
structure they were playing in was thrown into the air at Riverside
Park. I have read of other recent injuries just this year. This is
quite alarming. My grandchildren have played in Bounce Houses that
were rented for their birthday parties, but I never knew of this
danger. Apparently large gusts of winds have swept some of these
inflatable houses into the air. The Beasley firm further adds that
sometimes the renters are not adequately informed about the weather
guidelines or there are defects in the inflatable bounce house
itself.
Recent Injuries
One of the most recent injuries from a
Bounce house occurred May 25, 2015, Monday, when 3 children were
injured as a waterspout (a whirlwind occurring over the sea or body
of water) lifted the bouncy house that they were in. This is
according to CNN.com. I could not imagine the fear that was going
through these children and their parent's mind.
Below is a list of regulations by
State. According to Michigan besides permits and licenses, there
must be Annual and periodic inspections. There has still been the
question should there be stiffer regulations and penalties regarding
Bounce Houses? Is there more that can be done to keep our children
safe? Should Bounce Houses only be allowed indoors in larger space
environments? What are your thoughts on this?
Photo Caption: en.wikipedia.org, j.
Smith, CC-BY-SA-3.0.
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14 comments:
Interesting post- I've never though about deaths from a bouncy house. Thanks for sharing! #TwinklyTuesday
that's really crazy - I had no idea there were so many instances of children being hurt in bouncy houses. I used to love them when I was a kid. I don't really think there should be a law for this, though. Things like this could be prevented if parents supervised their children more. I've observed so many parents leaving their kids in bouncy houses unattended for hours and I totally understand the feeling of wanting to relax or not have to be on the clock all the time, especially at a party, but if you think about how much of this could be prevented if parents checked up on their kids, maintained a safe environment using these bouncy houses, etc. I just think it's more the parents' responsibility to keep their kids safe than it is for the government to do that job. Also, why do we need to make every little thing a law ? It's just ridiculous to police everyday life that extent. Just my opinion - thanks for the thoughtful post!
Storybook until I did research I had no idea either, but even with supervision there would be little a parent could do if the bouncy house is suddenly picked up and blown into the air by a large gust of wind.
Kelsie it was surprising to me too. Thanks for stopping by anointedtoday.blogspot.com
I've seen a bouncy house picked up by the wind, with children still inside. Fortunately, we were able to catch it and stabilize it. They should 100% be regulated. I still enourage my girls to use indoor ones at established bounce houses, with trained staff. Thanks for linking with #TwinklyTuesday.
Gosh how scary! I've never quite seen anything as epic here as a bouncy house - we have bouncy slides and castles but I haven't seen these. I am sure that not many people know the statistics you have written up there, It's so important that everyone is so careful with anything like this and all regulations are followed. Sad to hear there have been so many deaths. Thanks so much for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
I think there should be better weights and ways to tie bounce houses down. Thank you for sharing your insights at Pin Worthy Wednesday!
Hi Betty,
Helfpul! Thought-provoking! Inspiring! Thank you.I am delighted that you shared your informative and valuable insights regarding the dangers of bounce houses and how to deal with this important issue on the Healthy Happy Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I'm pinning and sharing.
I agree with you fully. Something needs to be done to keep our kiddos safe. Thank you for sharing with us at Waiting on...Wednesday!
Thanks Deborah.
That is a good point Jocelyn.
Thanks Holly.
I was surprised to hear of the deaths too mummascribbles.
I agree Sadia. Indoor bouncy houses are much better.
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