
Bounce houses are often the main attraction at community events and birthday parties. But after several recent incidents involving bounce houses, and children getting seriously injured, their safety is becoming a real concern. This summer alone there have been stories of serious accidents, two involving bounce houses blowing away in the wind with children inside, and another of a boy rushed into brain surgery after using a bounce house.
Scary Stats
Between 1995 and 2010, more than 62,000 children and teens were treated in emergency rooms for inflatable-related injuries, with a considerable spike in more recent years as their popularity has grown. A 2012 report by The Journal of American Pediatrics found that in 2010, 31 children went to the emergency room every day for bounce house-related incidents. These statistics are enough to make any parent (and event host) think twice about allowing their child to use these structures.
Our Stand on Bounce Houses
Please be aware that it is not the intention of the Habitat for Humanity Affiliate Insurance Program to insure the use of inflatable devices, and we advise against affiliates renting these structures to have at any events.