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?
 |
| 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.
Source:
Will you share this article with a
friend?
Learn More from this Author.. . . .
Click Below
