Trampolines And Safety – Some Basics

Trampolines are a ton of fun for the younger set, but there are some basic safety issues that are often ignored until it's too late. Take a look at a few common problems, how and why you should solve them.

The ladder is sometimes an issue when it comes to trampolines. As a rule, trampolines come with a ladder, but don't count on that when you make your purchase. Nothing can be more annoying that getting the trampoline set up only to discover that you're going to have to run over and help the kids on and off each time they're ready to mount of dismount.

Another problem is when the ladder gets broken. The rungs are usually made of a fairly durable plastic, but they aren't indestructible and they don't last forever. It may be that you've had your trampoline for several years and are now faced with a broken ladder.

When that happens, the obvious solution may seem to create a makeshift ladder. Kids all over the country climb onto trampolines using chairs, upturned buckets, boxes or whatever they can find. Falling from these makeshift ladders as they attempt to climb onto the trampoline is among the more common trampoline injuries. These methods of getting onto the trampolines are generally unstable and the climbing apparatus may very well tip over, allowing the child to fall to the ground. Even worse is when the youngster hits herself on the edge of the trampoline or on the items she was climbing on. Either way, this is a potentially dangerous practice that should be avoided. Check with the retailer that sold you your trampoline. Ladders are fairly inexpensive and you may find that it's much less costly to purchase a ladder than to deal with the potential for falls from a bucket stacked on a box that's stacked on a lawn chair!

Another real safety problem is the covering for the springs. Children face two real safety issues with regard to the springs. They may fall on the springs either when mounting or dismounting, or they may accidentally step into the spring area while they're jumping. Either way, there's a real danger here and a real possibility for a serious injury. Spring covers are also usually covered in the price of the trampolines, but are well worth the cost if you need to purchase them separately. If your spring cover is worn or the ties have broken, it may be time to replace it.