Injuries associated with trampoline use are common and are increasing. Over 3,000 trampoline-related injuries are reported each year in Australia, making them some of the most reported product-related injuries to children in Australia. This equates to at least eight people a day being injured on a trampoline. Children aged between five and nine are most likely to suffer these injuries. The leading cause of injuries is falling from a trampoline. Of particular concern is the increasing trend in injuries among children less than five years of age (approximately 10% per year) and in injuries associated with multiple users.
A trampoline should encourage development of gross motor skills and provide a stimulating environment that presents trampoline users with manageable challenges, through which they can find and test their limits. In order to provide these challenges, a balance needs to be found between risk and safety.
Standards Australia has recently published AS 4989:2015 Trampolines for domestic use – Safety aspects which supersedes the 2006 edition. CFA has a representative Sue Wicks is on the Standards Australia Committee CS-100, Trampolines for Domestic Use which revised the standard. The Committee was cognizant of finding a balance between the known hazards of trampoline use and the benefits to be obtained from their use as well as minimize the design and product-related hazards known to cause injury. This revision introduces requirements for enclosure systems, structural integrity, and entrapment and updates the existing requirements for impact attenuation and UV degradation.
Due to the hundreds of Australian children taken to hospital every year for trampoline-related injuries, the ACCC, Kidsafe and state consumer protection agencies have teamed up with Olympian trampolinist Blake Gaudry to help parents and carers keep trampolining safe for kids – here is the link to Trampoline safety – it’s flippin’ important.
CFA provides volunteer representatives on Standards Australia Technical Committees as part of the CFA Standards Project; if you are interested in finding out more about the Project and/or becoming a volunteer CFA Standards Representative please contact the Standards Coordinator at standards@consumeraction.org.au
Before buying any trampoline, i always read all the guide about assemble and maintain, because i want to keep it safe when my children play on it 🙂