Trampoline safety

Trampolines are great fun and children love them. But, they’re also a common source of preventable backyard injuries. Some simple precautions can help ensure trampoline safety for your children.

Trampoline safety precautions

Some basic trampoline safety precautions include:

• Wait until your child is older than six years before getting a trampoline.
• Always supervise your child when she’s using a trampoline. Younger children are more prone to serious injury.
• Keep toddlers away while the trampoline is in use.
• Always use safety padding to cover the frame and springs. Even better, look for a trampoline with a safety net installed around the sides.
• Check regularly that the mat and net don’t have holes, springs are intact and securely attached at both ends, frame isn’t bent, and leg braces are locked.
• Create a safe, clear area of 2.5 m around the trampoline with a soft surface, like grass, just in case your child does fall. Or you could set the trampoline in a pit in the ground. Make sure the area around and underneath the trampoline is free from hazards like fences or garden furniture.
• Make sure there’s plenty of clear space above the trampoline, so there’s no risk of children jumping up into trees or wires.

Trampoline safety rules for children

Teach children the following guidelines for safe trampoline use:

• Jump in the centre of the mat.
• Only one child on at a time.
• Jump with bare feet (no shoes).
• Only use the trampoline when the mat is dry.
• Avoid somersaults, because these can cause neck and spinal injuries

Source: Raising Children. The Australian Parenting Website.

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