Over 100 Incidents In Three Weeks, With Seven Serious Injuries Including Broken Back and Neck
Ryze trampoline park in Dalkeith is to be investigated by health and safety inspectors following more than 100 injuries in just three weeks. Amongst the 100 incidents at the park were seven serious injuries, including a broken neck and back.
However, the park's owners said that, viewed in context, the figures did not necessarily mean the park is unsafe. The three week period saw more than 25,000 visitors, making the incident rate less than 0.04%.
Christopher McKenna, 49, broke his neck at the park earlier this month. His wife Claire, 39, told the BBC that the first-aid at the facility was "non-existent".
"He was lying motionless and face down on the trampoline and two young boys who work there lifted him and moved him off," she said.
"This was where alarm bells were ringing for me because you should never move anyone with a neck injury.
"Twenty minutes later I was still arguing with the boy to call an ambulance but he was just interested in filling in an accident form. He didn't cordon off the area and was just asking people not to bounce near my husband."
Children as young as two have also suffered from broken bones in the park, but Case Lawrence, Ryze Chief Executive, said the injury rate was acceptable.
"This injury incident rate is right in line with what we see in the US and what we would expect here," he said.
Expert Opinion
Significant concerns have been raised regarding the number of people reporting injuries following visits to the park and it is welcome to see safety inspections being undertaken to examine the extent of the problem. <br/> <br/>"Everything possible must be done to gather as much information as possible on each individual incident, with a view to determining whether lessons can be learned which could prevent further injuries and reduce risks in the long term."