Title: Educating New and Uneducated Bouncy Castle Hirers: Our Duty
As experienced bouncy castle hire companies, we have a duty to educate new and uneducated hirers on what is safe and legal in our industry. It's important to understand that not all inflatables are created equal, and it's crucial to comply with the standards set out by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the European standard EN14960.
Recently, we came across a new hire company using inflatables that are not commercial hire and do not comply with EN14960. These inflatables are often just home garden toys, which are not suitable for commercial hire. Despite insurers saying yes to insurance, they very rarely are clued up on EN14960, and it will only become an issue at the point of claim, which may not be paid out.
As responsible hire companies, we cannot stand by and watch our industry potentially harm people. We need to educate new and uneducated hirers on what is safe and legal in our industry. It's our duty to help others, and we need to give free use of the letter we wrote to that hire company as an example of what is expected.
As experienced hire companies, we have the knowledge and expertise to ensure our customers have a safe and enjoyable experience with our inflatables. We need to share that knowledge with others and ensure that everyone in our industry is doing their part to keep our customers safe.
Please feel free to circulate the letter below to help when we can, you will find most companies are happy to work with you and if not, then Im afraid you have a duty to report them to the HSE or the Local council/ trading standards.
I hope you find this useful.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear [Company Name],
I hope this letter finds you well. As someone who has been in the bouncy castle hire industry for many years, I wanted to reach out to you regarding your recent start-up. While I am thrilled to see more companies enter the market and think competition is great for the industry. I am concerned about the safety of some of your equipment.
Upon reviewing your website and social media pages, it has become apparent that the inflatables you are using are not suitable for commercial hire and are simply home garden toys. These inflatables do not comply with EN14960 and cannot be tested annually, as required by the HSE Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
As part of this requirement, you are required to have a safety certification, issued by a competent person, which is impossible for some of the inflatable toys you operate with. Heres is the PIPA guidance on inflatable toys: Https://www.pipa.org.uk/files/is05toybouncycastlesonhire.pdf
While insurers may provide insurance, they are often not well-versed in EN14960 regulations, and this can cause issues at the point of claim. In recent years, hirers have been sent to prison for accidents occurring on untested equipment. For more information on this, please visit: https://www.better-bounce.co.uk/pages/health-and-safety#BodyContent.
I'm not trying to interfere with your business, but I wanted to give you a heads up before the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Trading Standards get wind of your business. Without proper documentation, they can be very severe, which is not good for any startup business.
It's important to note that inflatables require matting to a certain perimeter, certain anchor stakes, and pressure readings, all of which can be found in EN14960. You can find this information in EN14960 which can be purchased here for about £25: https://www.evs.ee/en/evs-en-14960-1-2019.
There are courses to learn the ropes available here for as little as £130. This course gives you certification and explains everything there is t know about inflatable safety, operations and much much more: https://playinspections.co.uk/training/rpii-operational-training-course/
I wish you all the best going forward, and I hope you take this information seriously.
If you have any questions or concerns or wish to work together in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me and I'll be happy to help you do things right going forward. After all, safety has to be our No. 1 priority.
Yours Sincerely { me}
<< Return to news