Bounce houses not inspected in Missouri
Two Colorado children are recovering Monday after their bounce house broke loose and took them on a wild ride.
It happened over the weekend when a gust of wind blew the large inflatable slide nearly 300 feet.
A girl was thrown off the slide and a boy was carried along with it.
Both suffered minor injuries.
This incident comes just a month after a bounce house went airborne in New York with two children also inside.
In Missouri, bounce houses do not meet the definition of amusement rides, therefore, they are not inspected.
However, there is a list of rules on the inflatable bounce houses to follow so those that are bouncing stay safe.
Carl McGeorge has been in the party rental business for 13 years and told ABC 17 News bounce houses are safe if properly installed.
McGeorge makes sure all four sides of the unit are secured with metal stakes as well as 90 pound sandbags.
But even with the sandbags there is a serious safety concern with wind gusts over 15 miles per hour.
McGeorge told ABC 17 News that is when his workers will immediately deflate them.
The National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials spokesman says, “With bounce houses, always follow what the manufacturer says and always watch the weather conditions.”
Back in 2011, the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials issued a statement saying bounce houses are probably one of the most dangerous amusement devices they have.
“If you err on the side of safety it’s not necessarily going to guarantee 100 percent, but odds are the kids are going to have a safe time and nobody is going to get hurt,” said McGeorge.
