About inflatable amusement products for home use
Inflatable amusement products for home use are a broad category of products intended for recreational use at home by either jumping, sliding or bouncing. There are many products that fall within this category, such as jumping castles, inflatable water slides and zorb balls.
Inflatable amusement products for home use are consumer goods that fall within the ACCC’s regulatory scope. State and territory work health and safety laws regulate larger products available for commercial use.
Risks and injuries
Due to their lightweight nature, these products designed for home use pose a risk of injury if not used properly or in bad weather conditions. It appears that the larger the product the higher the risk of injury.
Injuries involving inflatable amusement products include:
- bumps and bruises
- broken bones
- concussion
- suffocation
- more serious injuries including blunt force trauma.
These risks may come from:
- using these products without proper anchoring in bad weather conditions, resulting in the products being lifted into the air
- exceeding the recommended number of users, resulting in bad landings or users colliding.
Larger products available for commercial use have been linked to fatalities and injuries in Australia and overseas.
According to the relevant mandatory standard (Australian Standard 3533.1 2009), products for commercial use must:
- be secured by owners and operators according to manufacturer’s instructions
- not be used when wind gusts exceed 40 kilometres per hour or the manufacturer’s guidelines
- have competent supervisors at all times
- not have more than the maximum recommended number of users.
There is no mandatory safety standard in Australia that specifically applies to inflatable amusement products for home use. However, there are international voluntary standards and regulations that guide safe practice.
These standards and regulations have specifications related to design, manufacturing, performance and labelling.
When you purchase an inflatable product, there should be adequate warnings and instructions describing safe use and potential risks at the point of sale, on product packaging and on the product itself.
Suppliers should always review inflatable amusement products to check they are safe for use.
Other tips when buying or hiring an inflatable product
- Know who you’re buying from.
- Check online ratings and reviews, which could identify safety issues other consumers have experienced.
- Check Product Safety Australia for Australian product recalls and visit the OECD Global Recalls portal for international recalls.
- Read safety warnings and follow the product instructions, including for securely anchoring the product.
- Avoid using these products in bad weather conditions.
- Never leave your child unattended while using these products.
- Check if the product meets mandatory safety standards or is banned in Australia.
- Before purchasing an inflatable amusement product for use at home, check if it meets a voluntary standard (ASTM F2729-18, ISO 20187:2016, EN 14960-1:2019), by inspecting the product labelling or asking the supplier.
Report an unsafe product
Report products you consider unsafe to the ACCC
If you are a supplier, you must report any death, serious injury or serious illness associated with a consumer good or product related service that you have supplied. You must submit this report to the best of your knowledge within 2 days.
For more information, please refer to the mandatory reporting guidelines on the Product Safety Australia website.
