Consumer Product Safety Commission Jumps In on Trampoline Safety

The following is a blog from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) website located by Andrew F. Fick, Esquire, with the law firm of Liever, Hyman & Potter, in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Jump, bounce, squeal. These are the happy sounds of a child playing on a trampoline in the backyard.

In between bounces, a young child calls out to his friend, “Join me.”

The friend races out to the backyard and bounds onto the trampoline.

Only one person should be on a trampoline at a time. Then THUD — the noise you don’t want to hear, typically followed by a child crying.

While just playing in and around the house, children often stub their fingers, bonk their heads, and fall down — all minor injuries. Getting hurt on a trampoline can be much worse.

Last year, about 95,000 people suffered injuries of such a serious nature that they were taken to an emergency room for treatment. Between 2000 and 2009, 22 families lost a loved one from a trampoline mishap.

Installing and maintaining the enclosure around trampolines and being aware that children younger than 5 are at the greatest risk of injury can make for a safer experience in the backyard.

Zip, cover, scoot. These are the sounds of you making the trampoline a safer place to play.

• Zip up the surrounding enclosure.
• Cover the springs, hooks, and frame in shock-absorbing pads.
• Scoot the trampoline away from structures and trees.

Help minimize the risks of trampoline play. Learn more on the CPSC’s Trampoline Safety Alert page.

(Source: CPSC website, On Safety blog dated July 29, 2013.)