100 children hurt in trampoline accidents

MORE than 100 children are injured at Warrington every year as a result of accidents involving garden trampolines or bouncy castles.
Just two weeks into the school summer holidays, the accident and emergency department at Warrington Hospital is seeing one or two trampoline injuries a day.
They range from quite serious head and spinal injuries to minor cuts and bruises.
As a result, A&E doctors have issued a warning about the dangers of trampolines and bouncy castles.
A hospital spokeswoman said: “Safety is crucial in reducing the risk of injuries. It is vital that when purchasing a trampoline that parents ensure that they buy the right safety netting to go around the trampoline and choose a clear area with no hazards nearby such as trees, fences, washing lines or poles.
“The trampoline should be positioned on a soft energy absorbing surface such as a springy lawn and not an uneven surface, where the trampoline could tip over when children bounce on it. Never place the trampoline on a hard surface without some form of crash matting or safety netting surrounding it. Most importantly never use a ladder that will provide unsupervised access to small children.
A&E consultant Dr Dave Geggie said: “It is important to parents to follow the safety advice and ensure that their trampolines have a safety net and are properly maintained. It is vital that poles have padding, metal springs are not left to rust and if a trampoline has a rip or hole that this is either repaired or condemned. Simple safety and maintenance could prevent many of the injuries that we are seeing.”
Accident figures from 2002 fromthe Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents show 11,500 people in the UK visited hospitals after an accident with a trampoline – an increase of more than 50 per cent over a five-year period.
Accidents on trampolines at home had increased almost fourfold in the same time, with 4,200 under-15s being hurt in 2002.
Three quarters of injuries occur when more than one person is on the trampoline. The person weighing least is most likely to be injured. Small children under five are particularly vulnerable – as the lightest they are often propelled high into the air and can land heavily off the trampoline. It is also important that parents do not bounce on the trampoline under the influence of alcohol as this will slow their reactions and can result in crush injuries to small children when parents land on them.
Dr Geggie continued:
“The more children bouncing on the trampoline will cause the smallest and often lightest child to bounce higher than the others and often this will result in them landing on the ground, if the trampoline does not have netting, often resulting in serious injury. Therefore it is important to take it in turns and have one child on at a time.
“Injuries can occur to all parts of the body, including the neck, arms, legs face and head. Head and neck injuries are the most serious injuries associated with trampolines. It is important that there is parental supervision. This of course will not guarantee that accidents will not happen, but at least parents can call for emergency care immediately.”