San Francisco, CAAuthorities are coming down on trampoline parks as the associated rate of trampoline injuries rises. In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics went public in its discouragement of trampoline use, after a report showed evidence for major trampoline accidents including shin and chest fractures, and ankle, spinal and head and neck injuries--some of which resulted in brain damage.
In fact, in 2009, 70 injuries occurred for every 1000,000 children aged between 0 and 4 years who used trampolines, according to the report. A further 160 injuries per 100,000 occurred among children between 5 and 14 years of age. That totals roughly 98,000 trampoline injuries anually.
According to a report by the
Associated Press and CBS News.com governments are taking notice, with proposed regulations in Utah and California among the first attempts in the country to address safety concerns within what is a young but rapidly growing industry.
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Tampoline parks are usually nothing more than giant warehouses housing a series of trampolines that allow customers to bounce in every direction, slam-dunk basketballs and do gymnastics moves. According to Dr. Craig Cook, trauma director at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, they see a lot of very severe, open wounds that typically don’t occur unless he person has been in a high-velocity crash. "This is like a war type of injury or a motor vehicle crash," he told
CBS. Consequently, Utah is considering implementing an inspection program, similar to one already in place in California, and would be similar to regulations for
amusement park rides. They are also considering requirements for insurance, employee training and injury reporting.
