Contributed Post
Trampoline parks are the latest entertainment craze to sweep the nation but recent reports from emergency rooms around the country reveal a darker side to these popular attractions.
Since they first started to gain popularity in 2011, the number of trampoline parks around the country has jumped from 40 to somewhere around 280 by 2014. An estimated 6 new parks open every single month and there are now roughly 450 in the country.
The parks, filled with trampolines and obstacle courses are hugely popular with adults and children across Europe as well as in America, but a big problem has started to make itself known recently.
Emergency departments around the country have reported a huge surge in trampoline related injuries that coincide with the increased popularity of the parks. In some cases, customers have contacted a slip and fall attorney and made a claim against the parks, which they believe are to blame for injuries because they did not take the necessary health and safety precautions.
An estimated 92,000 people visit emergency rooms for trampoline related injuries each year and that number has been increasing rapidly as trampoline parks become more popular. A study done on the impact of trampoline parks found that in 2014, there were 7000 injuries recorded at the attractions and during the study, that number increased tenfold.
The study took data from injury registers around the country and aimed to look at the average age and relative seriousness of the injuries. It found that injuries on home trampolines tended to affect children around the age of 12, while the injuries in trampoline parks affected children with an average age of 13.
The most common injuries were sprains and fractures, both at home and at trampoline parks but you’re 60 percent more likely to get a sprain when you’re at a trampoline park. You’re also twice as likely to suffer a dislocation at a trampoline as well.
The findings show that there is clearly a problem with health and safety at these trampoline parks. A large part of that may be due to the fact that they’ve spread very quickly and, even though new laws are being introduced, health and safety legislation is still following behind. It’s worth noting that there are a few inconsistencies in the study because researchers lacked proper information on the location of some of the injuries and they didn’t take into account how often people were visiting the parks. Having said that, the study still highlights an issue with this new entertainment craze.
Recommendations based on the findings suggest avoiding recreational trampoline use without proper training but state if you are going to go to one of these parks, children need to be supervised at all times. You also need to avoid things like somersaults that should only be performed by somebody with professional training.
Until health and safety regulations catch up and trampoline parks are made safer it’s best to be cautious. That doesn’t mean you should avoid them entirely but make sure that you’re being safe and any children are supervised at all times.
