Effectiveness of pads and enclosures as safety interventions on consumer trampolines

• Published in: Injury prevention 2010-06, Vol.16 (3), p.185-189
• Main Authors: Alexander, Keith, Eager, David, Scarrott, Carl, Sushinsky, George
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Distribution; Annual reports; Athletic Injuries - epidemiology; Athletic Injuries - etiology; Child; Child, Preschool; Craniocerebral Trauma - epidemiology; Craniocerebral Trauma - etiology; engineering; Female; home; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Hospitalization - trends; Humans; Infant; Injuries; Joint Dislocations - epidemiology; Joint Dislocations - etiology; Male; Original; product; Safety; sports; Sports Equipment - adverse effects; Sports Equipment - standards; Studies; Trampoline; trampoline safety; User behavior; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1353-8047; 1475-5785
• DOI: 10.1136/ip.2009.025494

BackgroundTrampolines continue to be a major source of childhood injury.ObjectiveTo examine available data on trampoline injuries in order to determine the effectiveness of padding and enclosures.DesignTrampoline injuries from the NEISS database from 2002 to 2007 were reclassified into five cause-categories, to examine evidence for injury trends.SettingThe ASTM trampoline standard recommendations for safety padding were upgraded in 1999 and enclosures were introduced in 1997. This is the first study to examine the impact of these changes.PatientsThe sampling frame comprises patients with NEISS product code ‘consumer trampolines’ (1233). A systematic sample of 360 patients each year is taken.InterventionsThe prominent interventions recommended by the ASTM are netting enclosures to prevent falling off and safety padding to cover frames and springs.Main outcome measuresProportion of injuries within each cause-category and trend estimates.ResultsThere was no evidence for a decline within the injury cause-categories that should be prevented by these interventions from 2002 to 2007.ConclusionsIf these interventions were effective the associated injury causes would be in decline. Instead they remain close to half of all trampoline injuries with no significant change over the period of the study. Follow-up studies are proposed to determine the reasons. Given the number of injuries involved it is recommended that steps be taken to ensure these safety interventions or their equivalents are in place, work properly and remain effective for the life of consumer trampolines.