Trampoline association to undertake facilities safety check

The Australian Trampoline Parks Association (ATPA) is to undertake an accreditation safety check of all its member facilities - with non compliant facilities facing the possibility of having their membership cancelled.

Mindful of variable operational and safety standards among some operators, ATPA, a sub committee of the Australian Amusement Leisure and Recreation Association (AALARA), is to use AALARA's AM-Safe safety accreditation program to check on ATPA members’ adherence to a recently developed trampoline arena's code of practice.

AALARA General Manager Troy Cush explains "continued ATPA membership will be dependant on this evaluation."

Commercial trampoline arenas have been opening across Australia in the past few years, representing a vibrant new attractions industry sector.

Widely praised as a recreational activity for children and youth, and with physical activity advocates highlighting how trampolining can help child obesity, the sector's safety record has also come under scrutiny.

A weekend report in the Sydney Morning Herald suggested a rise in trampolining injuries, but failed to indicate whether medical professionals' concerns over trampolining injuries related to commercial arenas or domestic/backyard trampolines.

Quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald report, Sky Zone Chief Operating Officer Blaise Witnish stated that any ATPA member found to be non-compliant by the safety check would be "deregistered."

Witnish added that the growth of parks from none to 55 nationally in two years would naturally be linked with a rise in injuries, stating "if you establish 100 kids' playgrounds over a year, you'd expect to see a rise in monkey bar injuries, for example."

Witnish said at Sky Zone, the number of safety signs, skyguard supervisors, and audits had increased in an effort to cut injury rates.

The report also quoted Kidsafe NSW Chief Executive Christine Erskine as saying that while trampoline parks offered fun and exercise for children, they needed to be safer.

Erskine stated "we don't want cotton-wooled and bubble-wrapped kids. The balance is that the environment can cope with that level of activity and excitement."

A self regulated industry safety support program administered by AALARA, AM-Safe is designed to ensure that operational standards in the attractions industry meet best practice standards in all areas with the appropriate training, licensing and accreditation for all members of the industry.

Click here for more information on AM-Safe.

Image used for illustrative purposes only.

28th April 2014 - AALARA/ATPA ADVANCES TRAMPOLINE ARENA CODE OF PRACTICE