PowerPoint Presentation

Castles in the Air:Meteorological Case Studies and Policy Implications of Bounce House AccidentsJohn Knox, Tom Gill (UTEP), David Novlan (NOAA/NWS), Castle Williams, Luke Boggs, Katie Arney, Nick Bagley, Ian Boatman, Josh Croft, Jaquantas Printup, Jared Rackley, Charles Scarborough, Eric Schumacher, and Johnathon White

What is a Bounce House?Childrens inflatable amusement deviceBouncy house, moonwalk, slide, castle, etc.Invented in 1959Made of PVC, nylon, vinylGains in popularity of late:CarnivalsBirthday partiesReunionsCosts ~ $150 for 8 hours of kid fun, parent rest

stakeHow Could a Bounce House Be Dangerous?Major cause: Falls in or out of the houseThompson et al., 2012 Pediatrics: From 1995 to 2010, there was a statistically significant 15-fold increase in the number and rate of these injuries

And thats usually when the weathers fine. Bounce houses are even more dangerous in windy conditions.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/bounce-house-flies-13-kids-hurt/story?id=13766816 Research Idea (hatched on Facebook):Investigate weather-related bounce house accidents (with internationally known UTEP aerosols expert Tom Gill, right)Categorize events by meteorological phenomenonDetermine wind speeds that caused accidentBut also need to know how bounce house was securedExamine state-by-state regulations for bounce house useExplore opportunities to change regulations to ensure safetyDo it with students (Summer 2015)!

Weather-Related Bounce House Accident Statistics:63 weather-related bounce house incidents internationally since 2000271 injuries and 9 deaths due to weather-related bounce house incidents since 2000

Meteorology Results:Types of Weather PhenomenaThunderstorm outflow7/1/2006: Texas, two events: 1 injury (broken arm)

GUSTFRONTMeteorology Results:Types of Weather PhenomenaPost-cold frontal wind6/4/2011, Oceanside, NY: 13 injured (1 with broken neck)

This is one of the airborne bounce houses in Oceanside, NY..Meteorology Results:Types of Weather PhenomenaDust devils/sand devil6/9/2007, Hawaii: two children lofted with bounce house from beach into ocean; no major injuriesWaterspout5/25/2015, Fort Lauderdale, FL: 4 children injured, three to the hospital when bounce house anchored to basketball goal (right) goes flyinghttp://www.trbimg.com/img-5563c96e/turbine/fl-lauderdale-waterspout-injuries-20150525

The Fort Lauderdale Incident

Turning to Policy:Two types of relevant policies exist across U.S.Amusement Ride Policiescarries or conveys passengers along, around, or over a fixed or restricted route or course or within a defined area for the purpose of giving its passengers amusement, pleasure, thrills, or excitement not moonwalks (State of Georgia)Inflatable Specific Regulationsan air-filled structure designed to allow riders to bounce, slide or climb on it. Such a device is made from flexible fabric, kept inflated by one or more blowers, and relies on air pressure to maintain its shape. Policies for anchorage, operators, signage, wind speed, renter clause(State of North Carolina)

Solution for GeorgiaOccams Razor prevails. 25-15-94.Exempted rides: This article shall not apply to any single-passenger coin operated carnival ride on a stationary foundation or to playground equipment such as swings, seesaws, slides, jungle gyms, rider propelled merry-go-rounds, moonwalks, and live rides. [Emphasis added]

Since the Georgia code currently excludes moonwalks also known as Bouncy Castles from being regulated, simply striking the word moonwalks from the code would allow them to be regulated as other amusement rides are.

Renter ClauseRegulatory SuggestionsLobbying PlanDirectIndirectAdvocacy and EducationEducation: Coming Soon, Our Web Site weathertobounce.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ7rRmmF0VYThank you for listening!Contact me at johnknox@uga.edu

Theory vs. Reality:How high can a bounce house go?Based on measurements by Sinclair et al. (1973 J. Atmos. Sci.) and the El Paso and Tucson events, a moderate to strong dust devil with inflow windsfrom 45 to 70 mph, a pressure difference of up to 5 mb, a temperature difference of 5 deg C (warmer), and upward vertical velocities of 15 to 30 mph can lift a typical bounce house (standard mooring of 3-4 stakes assumed) up to 10 feet vertically and move it as far as 100 feet horizontallyExample of Inflatable Policy: NC North Carolina policy includes regulation on:Anchorage (13 NCAC 15 .0433)All tie downs must be attached to permanent structures and have at least a 370 pound test ratingstakes must be at least 40 inches long with at least 10 inches above ground; the aboveground portion must be covered and must contain a restraining hook.slide type inflatables require that each on ground anchor must be at least 500 pounds and for bounce-type inflatables each on ground anchor must be at least 75 pounds.Operator requirements (13 NCAC 15 .0434)operators shall be in operation of the device anytime the device is inflated operators shall also be located at any entrance or exit and should supervise riders in order to insure the least possible chance of injury for riders.

Example of Inflatable Policy: NC, Cont.North Carolina policy includes regulation on:Owner requirements (13 NCAC 15 .0438)The owner should maintain:manufacturers operating manualTraining manual required for operator of the device Signage (13 NCAC 15 .0437)Signs must contain warnings advising riders to:remove shoesremove any loose or sharp objectsbe assisted with entry/exit by operator Example of Inflatable Policy: NC, Cont.North Carolina policy includes regulation on:Wind speed(a) No person shall operate an inflatable or air-supported amusement device when the sustained wind speed exceeds the manufacturer's recommendation. (13 NCAC 15 .0436)(b) All inflatable or air-supported amusement devices shall be immediately unloaded and deflated when the sustained wind speed exceeds 25 m.p.h. (13 NCAC 15 .0436) Renter Clause (13 NCAC 15 .0438)(e) In the case of a rental, the owner shall ensure that the renter receives and understands the device operating procedures (including the operating manual and the training manual), and the rules and regulations pertaining to the operation of the device rented.