Are Bounce Houses Safe?
Bounce houses are popular activity for birthday parties, graduation parties, and other events and most of the time a party with a bounce house has absolutely no problem but once in a blue moon you will hear horrible stories about bounce house injuries. The truth is bounce houses can be very dangerous just like any item if you do not follow all of the proper safety procedures. We have sent a good amount of our staff to state training to insure your party does not end in a catastrophe and we want to share some of knowledge with you.
1. Make Sure The Inflatable Is Properly Anchored Down.
If you are setting up a bounce house yourself follow the instructions to stake down the bounce house correctly. If you are setting up on blacktop make sure you have the proper amount of weight buckets to hold it down. Some bounce houses are too large and should not be set up on blacktop so make sure to keep this in mind when renting. Let us know if you will be setting up on black top so that we can insure this inflatable will be safe and that you have enough weight to hold down the inflatable. You can also choose to have an expert staff install the inflatable for you or inspect it (NOTE: The State of PA requires all inflatables set up on public property to be inspected by a state Licensed Inspector)
2. Keep Everyone Away From The Blower At All Times.
When you have the bounce house finally set up the blower must remain on and connected to the inflatable to keep the bounce house inflated. In order to avoid someone accidentally tripping over the blower and disconnecting it from the bounce house you want to keep everyone away from the blower. To be extra safe you can set up a caution tape blockade a couple feet around the blower.
3. In The Event Of Poor Weather or Windy Conditions Deflate the Inflatable.
It is always a bummer when it rains or is bad weather during your event but remember it would be even more of a bummer if someone went home hurt. Although Bounce Houses have the word house in them they still are not as safe as moving the party inside your home during a storm. Remember, even extreme winds can be dangerous because they are not designed to stay put permanently and are essentially just a house made of air. Play it safe! If they are calling for poor weather contact the rental company and see if you can reschedule.
4. Don't Put Small Children in With Bigger Kids or Adults.
I know...I know... It can be so tempting to want go in and jump around with your small child but don't. Bounce Houses can effect your ability to stay balanced and slow down, that is part of the reason they are so much fun, you do not want to risk accidentally falling on top of your child or landing on them when you jump. Keep kids of similar age, height and weight together to avoid this issue.
5.Check Pockets & Do Not Let Any Sharp Items Inside.
This one might seem a little obvious. You obviously don't want a knife to go into an item that is filled with air or it will pop it and it will start to deflate. However, you also want to look out for less obvious items like pencils and pens. Anything that has a sharp point that could puncture the inflatable should not be able to enter the bounce house.
6. Don't Have Too Many People On At One Time.
If your bounce house has a slide you want to make sure that you do not allow too many people on it at once. The last thing you want is for the inflatable to become top heavy. You also want to beware of the weight limit of the inflatable. If you are using a non commercial bounce house they usually are not able to handle as much weight as one that is commercial grade.
It is important that anyone renting a bounce house know the different safety procedures and are aware of the rules. Check to make sure the company you are renting them from has registered them with the state and they are made of a quality grade material suitable for rentals. Remember when it comes to safety cheaper isn't always better. With these things in mind your event should go off with little to no problems.
