Bouncy castles and inflatable slides can be a lot of fun, however injuries or even fatalities can happen if they are incorrectly set up, anchored, operated or supervised.

The health and safety of the community and anyone in the vicinity must not be put at risk by the operation of an inflatable amusement device.

An Inflatable Amusement Device (continuously blown) means an amusement device that is inflatable and relies on a continuous supply of air pressure to maintain its shape.

Click on this link for details on other Amusement Devices.

Hazards

Inflatable amusement devices (continuously blown) may present a risk of injury to workers and other people from:

  • Device becoming airborne: sudden, strong wind gusts can overcome anchoring systems, lifting the inflatable high into the air with the potential for patrons to fall resulting in fatalities.
  • Structural collapse: high winds can cause an inflatable to buckle, tip over, or deflate prematurely. This collapse often traps patrons under the heavy PVC material, leading to suffocation or crushing injuries.
  • Falls and ejections: sudden gusts of wind can violently throw patrons, particularly smaller children, from the unsecured or open sides of the inflatable structure
  • Improper anchoring: failure to correctly secure anchors or weigh down inflatables has led to fatal lift-offs during high winds.
  • Collisions: high winds can cause the device to move and strike nearby pedestrians, surrounding structures, trees, or utility lines.
  • Overcrowding: mixing patrons of different sizes increases the risk of crush injuries and collisions.
  • Fan hazards: air blowers and electrical fans can pose serious laceration or pinching risks. They must be safely guarded so patrons cannot access moving parts.
  • Power disruptions: sudden power outages can trigger collapse from deflation which could trap patrons under the heavy PVC material, leading to suffocation or crushing injuries.
  • Psychosocial hazards: for example, high job demands, isolated work, or fatigue can lead to physical and psychological injuries.

Safety requirements

Key safety requirements

  • Device selection: ensure the device is suitable for the intended purpose and is in a safe condition.
  • Emergency plan: prepare a site emergency plan and train workers in emergency procedures. This includes providing fire extinguishing equipment that is inspected and tagged in date. Ensure devices are evacuated then deflated when wind gusts exceed the manufacturer’s guidelines or when wind gusts exceed 40 km per hour, whichever is the lower.
  • Training and supervision: provide workers with training, supervision and verification in safe work procedures (SWP) in accordance with the manufacturer’s manuals for transport, installation, commissioning, operation, inspections, maintenance and storage of amusement devices.
  • Pre-operation checks: carry out these checks without passengers to verify the operation and condition of critical safety components and features including patron system restraints and interlock devices
  • Site risks: identify and manage any risks related to the site where the amusement device will be operated. This includes undertaking a separate risk assessment for each site and implementing additional controls where necessary. Hazards to consider include overhead or underground power lines, location of gas pipelines, overhanging trees, sloping ground and poor drainage. Note that inflatable amusement devices cannot be deployed over water.
  • Set up: devices must be secured and anchored as per the manufacturer’s or engineer’s instructions and ensure that anchor pegs/stakes/weights and guy ropes do not pose a tripping or impalement hazard.
  • Logbook: ensure the logbook is maintained and communicated to workers. For more information on logbooks see below.

During operation

When inflatable amusement devices are in operation you must ensure that:

  • Start-up: ensure the device is operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, including emergency controls, start-up and shutdown.
  • Supervision: is provided at all times by persons who are able to operate the device safely and know what to do in an emergency, such as inclement weather.
  • Impairment: ensure operators or supervisors are not under the influence of or adversely affected by sleep deprivation, alcohol, narcotics or medication.
  • Patron safety:
    • ensure safe use, access and exit, including fencing and other other control barriers are sufficient to guide patrons and prevent public access to ‘no go’ zones. Impact mats need to be installed in areas where patrons could fall off the device (such as at entrances and exits).
  • Patron instructions:
  • ensure only the recommended maximum number of patrons and only those of a similar size and weight are on the device at the same time.
  • patrons are instructed in safe use of the equipment.
  • patrons are informed that some behaviour (such as somersaults, flips) may put their safety and that of others at risk.

High risk work licence

There are no requirements to have a high risk work licence to operate amusement devices.

Registration

According to the WHS Regulations Schedule 5 - Part 1 & 2 you must register the plant design and plant item for the following:

  • inflatable devices (continuously blown) with a platform height of 3 metres or more.
  • platform height, in relation to an inflatable device (continuously blown), means the height of the highest part of the device designed to support persons using it (the platform), as measured from the surface supporting the device to the top surface of the platform when the device is inflated but unloaded.

Registration costs can be found at Registration Fees.

Design registration

Plant design registration – Guidance notes

To register or alter the design of plant:

Plant design - New or alteration to design

Before purchasing a device check to see if the supplier has the correct design registration.

Minimum standards

Designs must comply with the Approved Codes of Practice (the Australian Standard AS 3533 series published prior to 1 January 2013 are considered an Approved Codes of Practice). Older devices may have been designed to previous standards must be assessed against the Code and design verified that it achieves an equivalent or better level of safety.

The WHS legislation may prescribe additional minimum levels of safety that are not detailed in the Code or overrule the Code. You need to review both sources of information to be sure that your device fully complies in South Australia.

Device suppliers

Australian suppliers must obtain design registration for a device before they can sell it to you. They must also provide you with evidence of the design registration.

If you import a device directly from an overseas supplier, it is your responsibility to obtain all information about the device from that supplier. You should always check with the overseas supplier prior to signing a contract of sale that they will provide you with all the documentation you require to support an application for design registration in Australia.

International design registration or design verification documents are not recognised in Australia. Such documents may be included with an application for design registration as supporting material.

If you are unable to obtain all the required information, you will need to engage the services of a suitably competent person in Australia to provide the necessary documents.

Second-hand devices

Before purchasing a device second-hand check to see if it has design registration. Design registration is mandatory in South Australia and is a pre-requisite to plant registration.

To register the design of a second-hand device you need to be able to accurately demonstrate knowledge relating to the original design, or evidence that there have not been any design alterations to the device over its life, or when (or if) major inspection occurred.

If the item does not have evidence of plant design registration you will need to apply for the registration yourself. In these instances, collect as much information as you can on the device (designer/manufacturer etc), it's design history (such as alterations) and any inspection or maintenance records to support the design registration application.

While the regulator has powers to grant exemptions from design registration, limits and conditions usually come with this exemption. An item of plant where the designer/manufacturer is unknown is unlikely to be granted such an exemption.

Design registration number issued to another person

If you have an identical device as someone else, you may use their design registration number if they give you written authorisation that you can. You must have this written authorisation for the design number to be valid.

The design of your device must be confirmed by the registration holder as fully compliant to their registered design. If they cannot give you that certification in writing, then you cannot use or reference their registration number.

You cannot quote a design registration number without satisfactory knowledge of the exact design to which it applies, including any subsequent design modifications to that device.

Compressed air

Where the device incorporates a plant item listed in the WHS Regulations as high risk plant such as an air receiver, then you must ensure that this is design registered accordingly.

Compressed air delivery will utilise an air receiver after the compressor which must be assessed to determine if it meets the criteria for design registration. If it does, then the air receiver would be registered separately to the amusement device design registration. For guidance only, air receivers with a capacity of 100 litres or greater will require design registration.

Design verification

Any part of the device which could affect the safety of a patron, operator, attendant or spectator must be approved by a design verifier. This includes during set-up, dismantling, inspection, operation and transport of the device. Most amusement devices will have at least one critical component which if it failed to an unsafe condition (i.e. has no redundancy), there is risk of injury to a person.

Design verification must be in line with Australian Standards.

The task of verifying a design can be complex and the design verifier is held accountable for the method and process they used to verify the design. The design verification should only be conducted by a person who is competent to do so.

A design verifier cannot be someone who was involved in the original production of the design. If you were involved with the designer or manufacturer in stipulating specific design changes or additional features to the function of the device, then it could be viewed that you assisted in the production of the design.

Alterations

You must notify us (or the regulator from whom you received plant registration) if an alteration made to the amusement device may affect the health and safety of a person. When making an alteration you will also need to review the risk control measures.

The design registration holder must also lodge an application for alteration to design.

An alteration to the aesthetics of your device or replacing low voltage lighting with extra low voltage LED lighting does not require notification.

You should never alter the design of an amusement device without first consulting with the designer, manufacturer, or a competent person.

Plant item registration

Plant item registration – Guidance notes

To register or alter the item of plant:

Plant item registration

Plant - Variation / Change of ownership

To register plant for the first time in South Australia or to renew lapsed registration, the following documentation will be required:

  • Design Registration Certificate or a Design Approval Letter issued pre-July 1996 or exemption letter.
  • Safe to Operate statement from a competent person issued within 12 months of application date. If the amusement device being registered has been in service for more than 10 years, attach a Major Inspection Report (10-yearly) in lieu of the yearly Safe to Operate report.
  • date when plant item was first commissioned or first registered (whichever occurred first).
  • authorisation letter from the PCBU who will have management or control of plant (If applicable).

If you are applying to transfer to a new owner, change the location or make changes to other information of an existing SafeWork SA issued registration(s) the following documentation will be required:

  • Safe to Operate statement from a competent person issued within 12 months of application date. If the amusement device being registered has been in service for more than 10 years, attach a Major Inspection Report (10-yearly) in lieu of the yearly Safe to Operate report.
  • date when plant item was first commissioned or first registered (whichever occurred first).
  • authorisation letter from the PCBU who will have management or control of plant (If applicable).
  • for transferring to a new owner only: letter from former owner confirming date that transfer of ownership occurred and that they no longer have management or control of the plant.

Note:

  • SafeWork SA will send out renewals for plant registration when due. In making a decision to grant the renewal of a plant item registration, SafeWork SA will consider whether the plant has been regularly maintained and inspected in accordance with WHS Regulation 213.

Change of details

You must provide us with written notice within 14 days if:

  • you change your name or address, or any other information stated on your application for registration.
  • the plant design has been altered to an extent where it is subject to new control measures.

Inspection and maintenance

You must have your amusement device inspected regularly to ensure you are complying with the minimum level of safety as prescribed by the Approved Code of Practice, Australian Standards AS 3533.2:2009 – Amusement rides and devices – Operation and Maintenance and AS 3533.3:2003 – Amusement rides and devices – In-service inspection.

You must have a quality system in place that either:

  • conforms to recognised Standards and is audited on a regular basis, or
  • is subject to regular reviews and check inspections carried out by an independent competent person to verify the performance on any in-house personnel.

Inspections must be completed by an independent competent person who must check the device and confirm that it:

  • is manufactured to the registered design.
  • complies with the WHS Act & Regulations.
  • is safe to operate.

This process will require the competent person to inspect the device in a fully assembled and operational state. The competent person must:

  • check all mechanical, structural, electrical and electronic aspects, where applicable.
  • assess any critical components.
  • document all activities associated with the commissioning process (if a new device).
  • provide you with a signed declaration summarising what they did and that the device is safe to operate.

The competent person may also need to:

  • observe the erecting and disassembly stages, or for transport and storage.
  • undertake or observe specific performance testing to validate compliance.

According to WHS Regulation 238 (2) – Operation of amusement devices and passenger ropeways:

  • The person with management or control of an amusement device or passenger ropeway at a workplace must ensure that:
  1. the amusement device or passenger ropeway is checked before it is operated on each day on which it is to be operated; and
  2. the amusement device or passenger ropeway is operated without passengers before it is operated with passengers on each day on which it is to be operated.

Annual inspections

Your device must undergo an annual inspection completed by a competent person no later than 12 months after the last inspection. Device owners who are involved in the regular operation and maintenance of their device are ineligible to act as the competent person for inspection of that device.

You cannot continue to operate the device beyond 12 months following the last annual inspection, or if the inspection identifies safety related issues requiring immediate attention.

When your device passes the annual inspection, the competent person inspecting your device will give you a signed statement that your device has been inspected and is safe to operate

Extensions

SafeWork SA may extend the date for an inspection by up to 35 days if an inspection is scheduled to coincide with the same event each year (e.g. Royal Show).

Extensions are granted as a one-off extension to avoid clashing with the annual reoccurring event.

You should plan for the next inspection to occur earlier than 12 months to avoid it coinciding with that event in the future.

inspections

A major inspection is a thorough inspection of the device to establish the prospective remaining life of the device. Electrical systems and components are included in this activity.

Major inspections must be performed:

  • at the end of design life (if known), or
  • in accordance with manufacturer recommendations (or that of a competent person), or
  • at every 10 years (if design life unknown), or
  • after any significant mechanical or structural failure, or
  • after rebuilding or recommissioning.

Record keeping

If your device requires registration of design or item of plant registration, you will need to keep a logbook that demonstrates how the device is being maintained in a safe condition. The logbook can take the form of a physical book, or an electronic version. If it is stored in electronic format, it must be able to be accessed directly from where the amusement device is located.

The logbook must:

  • be kept with the amusement device (along with operating and maintenance manuals).
  • contain the most recent updated records including daily checks and unplanned device stoppages.

All maintenance, inspections and testing of the device must be carried out by a competent person.

Refer to WHS Regulations 237(5), 238(2)(c), 242.

Contact us

Visit: safework.sa.gov.au

Call: SafeWork Licensing Unit on 1300 365 255

Email: licensing.safework@sa.gov.au

Further information

Resources

Legislation

  • WHS Regulation 213 – Maintenance and inspection of plant
  • WHS Regulation 237 – Records of plant
  • WHS Regulation 238 – Operation of amusement devices and passenger ropeways
  • WHS Regulation 241 - Annual inspection of amusement devices and passenger ropeways
  • WHS Regulation 242 – Logbook and manuals for amusement devices
  • WHS Regulation 244 – Altered plant designs to be registered

Australian Standards

  • AS 3533 – Amusement rides and devices
  • AS 3533.1 – Amusement rides and devices – Design and construction
  • AS 3533.2 – Amusement rides and devices – Operation and maintenance
  • AS 3533.3 – Amusement rides and devices – In-service inspection
  • AS 3533.4.1 – Amusement rides and devices – Land-borne inflatable devices

Codes of Practice

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