Bouncy Castle Safety

Date: 01 Feb 2009

Many accidents with bouncy castles and inflatables usually occur due to poor management when setting up and taking down the inflatable, and in most cases, tying the bouncy castle down is a big part in bouncy castle safety as this is where many accidents occur. Most bouncy castles are top heavy and it is very important that they are tied down securely so that they don’t lean to one side or even topple over in the event of power loss or extreme weather conditions.

There are many methods for tying down your bouncy castle or inflatable but in most cases, the stakes that are used to tie them down should be between 35 inches and 48 inches long and driven into the ground at least ¾ of the way at an appropriate angle for the soil or surface. If you choose to use weights to hold down the bouncy castle then each weight should be at least 24 kilograms per tie for small bouncy castles and inflatables and 226 kilograms per tie for large inflatables and slides.

All slides should have 2 attendants or more if they are bigger than 15 feet tall and it is important to gain assistance when putting up or taking down the bouncy castle or inflatable.

Bouncy Castle Access

On any open side of the castle or inflatable, the maximum fall off height should be no greater than 75 cm. if there are any hard landing surfaces, they should be covered by soft landing material such as gym mats or equivalent material of at least 2.5 cm in thickness but no more than 12.5 cm. Each soft landing material or mat should estend for a distance of at least 1.2 m from the open side. Safety mats used indoors should be fire-resistant. When it is necessary to have ties or anchorage points near to an entrance or exit, they should be connected in such a safe way to minimise the danger of tripping.