The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has teamed up with Olympian trampolinist Blake Gaudry, Kidsafe and state consumer affairs agencies to help keep kids safe on trampolines.
The campaign was launched yesterday at the South Australian Aquatic and Leisure Centre to kick off International Product Safety Week.
“Trampolines can put children at risk of serious injury, particularly when used inappropriately,” ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said
“With at least eight children per day being injured on trampolines in Australia, we are urging parents and carers to follow our safety checklist so this activity can be enjoyed injury-free,”
“Children aged five to nine are at greatest risk of being hurt and injuries include fractures, open wounds, dislocations and head injuries. Unfortunately, there has also been one trampoline-related death of a child in Australia.”
A survey conducted in March by Kidsafe Western Australia on behalf of the ACCC identified a range of unsafe practices that could be putting children at risk, including reports of up to five or more children being on a trampoline at once.
Also of concern was that less than a quarter of parents and carers said they always supervise their children on trampolines.
“We need to ensure trampoline safety precautions are followed to minimise the risk of injury. The ACCC, with Kidsafe’s support, is sending the safety checklist to schools and childcare centres and we’ll be encouraging trampoline suppliers to share the safety messages to consumers,” Ms Court said.
The ACCC has released a new video Trampoline safety – It’s flippin’ important featuring Blake Gaudry, which can be watched here:
“When I’m in the air I need to have complete confidence that my surroundings are safe when I land. Parents need to have that same level of confidence when their children are bouncing on trampolines in the backyard,” Mr Gaudry said.