AIBU to worry a teeny bit.....

[FattyFishwife]

DS aged 5 has an invitation that came today to a birthday party at a Trampoline Park in our home town.

Highlighted at the bottom of the invitation with orange highlighter AND 2 asterisks are the words 'Please complete a waiver for all jumpers)

Ive looked at the waiver and ive chosen the bits that worry me a tad

"I acknowledge that my participation in Velocity Leisure Ltd trampoline activities and use of VelocityLeisure Ltd facilities entail known and unknown risks, which could result in physical or emotional injury, paralysis, death or injury to myself, third parties and property. I understand that these risks cannot be eliminated from the activity. The risks include and are not limited risks of cuts and bruises, participants falling off the trampolines and equipment, sprained ankles and more serious injuries. Moving to and from trampoline location increases the chance of any manner of transportation accidents. Double bouncing ( more than one person per trampoline) can cause collision resulting in serious injury. Bouncing, flipping and running can cause serious injury and is at the participants own risk. Similar risks apply to using the foam pit, dodgeball court and basketball hoops. In any event,, if you or your child are injured , medical assistance may be necessary . Velocity Leisure Ltd staff seek safety in all events however they may be unaware of participants abilities or fitness and are not infallible."


and

"In consideration of being permitted by Velocity Leisure Ltd to participate in its activities and to use its equipment both now and in the future, I hereby agree to release, indemnify and forever discharge Velocity Leisure Ltd, its agents, directors, partners, owners, employees, volunteers, manufacturers, participants, lessors, affiliates, its subsidiaries, related and affiliated entities, successors and assigns, on behalf of myself, my spouse, my children, my parents, my heirs, assigns, personal representative and estate as above. "

aibu to be worried or am i being a bit namby pamby? Im not usually bothered...DS (5) is my 5th child, so by the time you get to number 5 you are pretty relaxed about injuries/risks etc

BUT....heres the kicker....DH is a Health & safety consultant/trainer and absolutely ABHORS trampolines, he tells me that there are ambulances at the trampoline park at least once every single week. hes not happy about DS going to the party, but it is his best friend (and DH will be working, so I will be taking him)

i think his concerns (whether they are over concerns or not) are making me more wary than I normally would be....but also the wording in the waiver (not seen anything like that before, asking you to sign to absolve them of any blame in injury/paralysis/death - apart from your hospital operation consent forms)

would you worry? would you sign? I wonder what would happen if you didnt sign it...would dthe child turn up to the party and be turned away?

as i said im not usually such a pansy about things, my kids have to be bleeding from the eyes or ears before they get a GP visit (stems from 22 years as a parent including 14 of them working in an operating theatre LOL)

would value the AIBU crowds input

TIA

[RJnomore1]

I've been to one with my family which was fine and fun but I used the visit to risk assess for youth groups which I manage and no way in hell would I take a group to them.

How reliable is your ds at following instructions? Because if he can its most likely reasonably safe.

It's an odd choice for a five year old party though.

[Lostcat2]

We got rid of our trampoline after dd couldn't use it anymore following a serious injury.

Bloody hate them.

Presumably if you don't sign you don't jump?

[BlueJug]

It would not make me keen to go.

Legally I think they cannot legally absolve themselves of responsibility -regardless of waiver. If they are negligent you can sue them anyway.

What concerns me is their attitude.

Trampolines are very dangerous unless very carefully supervised. If you let him go - could you stay and supervise? (Might make it worse though).

[molyholy]

I would feel the same as you OP, but I even detest bouncy castles. They are just an accident waiting to happen. The waiver would put me off but I would probably take my dd (6) and watch her like a hawk.

[SurlyCue]

A 5 year olds birthday party at a trampoline park? that is a really odd choice of venue. They cant all jump at once so are they just going to line up and take turns to jump? How boring.

[wowfudge]

Surly - I imagine the place the OP is talking about is made up of lots of trampolines joined together. The party will take over the whole place so they can all jump together.

[Djelibeyb]

The waiver is ott because of a sue me culture. The risks are real though. I know many kids who have had broken bones from trampolines. It is up to you as a parent but I personally wouldn't let me 5 yo go as I can't trust him to be sensible in such an exciting place!

[MidniteScribbler]

I took nearly 4 year old DS to one the other day. It was pretty safe looking to me (lots of padding, nothing raised off the ground, big air bags all around). The staff were watching everything like a hawk and jumped on anyone being silly. Parties had a separate area.

[sadwidow28]

Organisers of dangerous physical activities owe a duty of care to persons taking part in these activities. If the organisers breach this duty of care and are found to be negligent, a waiver will not protect the organisers from their legal responsibility.

Normally, if you take part in such an activity or even any activity that requires you to sign a waiver you are presented with a document which states that in the even of any injury or death, the organiser is not responsible. However, even if you sign this document you do not automatically lose your legal right to make a claim.

The Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 is designed to protect consumers from exactly what it says in the title – unfair terms in a contract. It is unfair for the organiser to impose agreeing to this waiver as a condition of taking part in their activity and to exclude themselves from taking precautions to uphold their duty of care towards participants.

In practice, this means that any contract term that makes an attempt to exclude liability for death or personal injury is void and un-enforceable. This means that if you are injured carrying out an activity that you have signed a waiver for, you are still able to make a personal injury compensation claim if you are injured as a result of the organisers' negligence.

--------------

Having said all of that, the number of trampoline parks who are demanding that waivers are signed before a person/child can participate indicates the caution and concern that the trampoline BUSINESS OWNERS are displaying. Caution and concern because trampolining, undertaken improperly by amateurs and groups of children without guidance, appropriate training and supervision is pretty dangerous.

In my youth, I went to trampoline classes (gymnastics) and became pretty good. But we had to 'spot' for each other whilst the trainer focused on the person trampolining.

I have taken my DN to a trampoline park, but talked him through the jumping in the middle and no attempts at acrobats. Over 6 visits I taught him how to do a 'seat-drop', a 'back drop, and safe 'front drop' - all back to standing position. I only did that because his Mum had bought him a garden trampoline and he and his friends were being 'stupid' and dangerous. I was trying to rectify a stupid purchase (IMO).

I agree with your DH, trampolining is a very dangerous activity. I injured my lower back when I under-flipped a somersault aged 15 years old (and remember that I was being professionally trained)

Listen to your DH on this one - it is in his realm of expertise.

Research it for yourself:

Trampoline park shuts after 100 accidents in 3 weeks including broken neck and back - and this park says that there injury rate is “better than the industry norm”

Why trampolines are causing a crisis in A&E: They account for HALF of all childhood accidents and are leaving more and more adults injured for life

You can always accept the party invitation but say that DS will not be joining in the trampolining activity if you are confident to do so.

I consider taking DN to a go-kart centre where he is allowed to drive at 25 miles an hour less dangerous than taking him trampolining and I have done both!.

• 20 minutes video about safety,
  
• safety suits and crash helmets supplied,
  
• all karts remotely stopped if there is stupidity!
  

Children's parties seem to have gone over the top these days. What happened to pass-the-parcel; musical statues; dancing to favourite music; eating lovely treats; bobbing for apples; cover the sixpence in a bucket; building dens etc etc?

[Brioche201]

I coach at a gymnastics club and well trained , well supervised have accidents all the time on the trampoline.it is an intrinsic risk that is what the waiver is saying

[FattyFishwife]

thanks for your input peeps, it has been much appreciated. Im going to the place tonight to have a look at the facilities and how its run/manned etc then make my decision.
Im leaning towards (pending tonights visit) letting DS go but staying with him and supervising him like a hawk.

I long for the simpler days of pass the parcel, pin the tail on the donkey and jelly and ice cream too sadwidow

not because they were safe, but much simpler and less competitive/keep up with the joneses

[stoopstofolly]

We have a trampoline park near us (waiver looks very similar) and I've taken DS (age 5) a few times. He loves it BUT there's no way I'd let him
go without me. Lots of bigger children, and lots of potential to hurt himself. With me hovering playing with him he's still had a few knocks and bumps- the supervision would need to be great and with lots of kids it's not possible. If it's his best friend is there any way you could suggest going along as well to help out?

[PaulAnkaTheDog]

The article someone posted for the accidents at a trampoline park should be taken with a pinch of salt. Ryze is an adult centre. Tbh, when I was little I was at a trampoline party every other week. Never once saw anyone injured.

[sadwidow28]

Paul I posted the links for the OP to consider.

I was always on Scarborough beach front in the 1960s when the trampolines first came out and loved bouncing up and down amongst the sand. But we lined up waiting a turn and could only enter the trampoline when told to do so by the superviser. Parents/guardians were behind a little fence to signal that the superviser was in charge - but they would shout out if we did anything silly and against the rules.

The current trampoline business parks are quite different from what we did as children and due caution, risk assessment by a parent should never be dismissed.

[PaulAnkaTheDog]

No I understand why you posted it was just making sure the op realised that it wasn't a children's trampoline centre.

[sadwidow28]

Thank you Paul for your kind reply.

Truly, I am only trying to give the OP more information based on her concerns - one of which was the waiver that she considered to be OTT. I think I found enough info to indicate that the waiver is common amongst all trampolining businesses, but it doesn't mean that she signs over her child's well-being should an unfortunate accident happen.

If the OP is investigating supervision and training levels further at the venue (as she says she is) I think she now has enough information to help her make her own judgement about the birthday party.

I admit that I was a hellicopter Aunt to DN (who I looked after most weekends and holidays from aged 6yrs to 12 yrs after his Daddy died). But I had to send links to my SIL before she would approve any activity. For example, my DN used to end up checking, "Am I still in your eye-sight if I go up the climbing wall?" But there were times when DN was a precious snow flake and when he got trapped in the 'spiders web' at Crocky Trail, he would expect me to go in like the SAS. Nah.... you went in..... you get yourself out via one of the emergency trapdoors which I have already talked you through!

So honestly, I am just trying to give the OP sufficient information for her to make her own decision about this birthday activity as a parent. Each parent knows their own child.

My DN couldn't go to swimming pool birthday parties without me being there as his 1:1 supporter as he was a very weak swimmer who panicked when he got water in his eyes (even with goggles). DN was simply unsafe unless I was in the pool with him and no other parent should have been expected to take on the responsibility. Fortunately, I am DSB checked, hold both personal and life-saving swimming qualifications and, as a qualified teacher, can manage a mixed group of children. I think DN got invited to more swimming pool parties than we ever expected .... Mums do chat about to to invite to get an extra competent adult .

[Junosmum]

Surelycue - it'll be something like jumpnation in Manchester where there is room the size of a leisure center hall which is literally covered in trampolines, and the trampolines go up the walls too at a 30 degree angle. You can get 20 - 30 people in there at once, all jumping together.

[sadwidow28]

The OP said that it was VelocityLeisure Ltd

That could be a holding company or a franchise distributor. I haven't looked into that .

[sadwidow28]

Velocity trampoline parks to open in Widnes and Aintree

[Perihelion]

Ryze isn't only an adult centre.They have a 2-6 bit, but from what I understand a lot of the injuries have been caused by adults and children on the same trampoline at the same time. I won't let DD go. However I will let her go to Airspace in East Kilbride when she's old enough. They seem to take safety much more seriously, including having no under 10's, a proper safety briefing and no unsupervised under 16's.

[Micah]

There's a reason all the trampoline parks are closing in the US.

I wouldn't let my dc go. Or get a garden trampoline either.

[Princessgenie]

I have taken my three year old to one of these. Quite a few times. We go in the tots area and I sit at the side of her trampoline and make her stop if someone else jumps on it with her. She has still managed to hurt herself. She was just bouncing, twisted funny when she landed and the screams were horrid. Straight to A&E. Just a sprain thankfully. The staff were excellent but did say there were often accidents and that just the day before someone had snapped their ankle when someone landed on it.
I would not let her go to a party that was without me.