UK trampoline park operator Oxygen Freejumping has backed recent calls for the regulation of the trampoline park industry.
The company has requested that operators meet additional safety standards or face closure.
As a member of the Association of Trampoline Parks, Oxygen voluntarily adheres to the PAS standard for the operation of trampoline parks launched by the British Standards Institute in collaboration with the IATP.
Oxygen reports that it has gone further and put in place several measures which it feels the entire sector must now meet, including ensuring Primary Authority Status with a local environmental health agency, training all court monitor staff to meet the new national vocational qualification level two standards, ensuring all managers are thoroughly first aid trained, the removal of foam pits where an individual can propel or jump from height into, and a restriction to the size of any single trampoline area.
Oxygen believes that any operator who fails to meet these basic requirements should be forced to upgrade its facilities and procedures by their local authority.
The company is concerned that the recent focus on accidents and issues within operating standards across the sector are detracting from the significant positive contribution being made to children’s activity levels by trampoline parks nationwide.
Obesity in children and adults has grown tenfold in the past four decades, according to a study by Imperial College and the World Health Organisation. Oxygen believes that trampolining has an important role to play in tackling the UK’s growing obesity pandemic and urges all trampoline park operators to provide a safe and high-quality environment for customers.
David Stalker, CEO of Oxygen Freejumping, commented: “The regulation of the trampoline park industry would have the full support of Oxygen Freejumping. Trampolining is a dynamic leisure activity that will always carry risk to the participants, similar to a number of other leisure activities, however too many operators are not taking necessary action to minimise the risk of injury. We need to raise standards within the sector and ultimately take tougher action on the operators who prioritise profits over customer safety.
“Trampoline parks in the UK welcomed 15 million customers in 2017 and we are delighted that the popularity of the sport continues to grow. We call on all trampoline park operators to prioritise customer safety to encourage more people to get more active, more often.”
