Use of Inflatables at Village Hall

Extract from Conditions of Hire updated 1st October 2021 relating to use of inflatable products at Village Hall. The ceiling is 2700mm high for main part of hall but there is a 3200mm wide section, as you enter the hall, that has a height of 3300mm across the hall width of 7600mm for those considering inflatables at the hall.

  1. Inflatables at Village Hall:

From 1st October 2021 our Public Liability Insurance policy provides liability cover in respect of bouncy castles used at your premises providing that you adhere to insurer’s advice and guidelines. Which are as follows:

  1. Outdoor Use:

If you use any bouncy castle and/or any other land-based inflatable, you must ensure that:

  1. access and use is controlled by an authorised adult at all times
  2. when used outside a building, it is securely anchored to the ground at each anchor point
  3. each anchor point is signed, or otherwise marked to be made easily visible, and wrapped to prevent injury
  • In addition, using bouncy castles can increase the risk of injury, particularly to children and others who may not be aware of the dangers.

Our Insurers offer the following risk management advice for overseeing bouncy castles:

  • Where you provide, or are responsible for, bouncy castles (this means if hired and the provider is not taking responsibility for control of the use of the equipment) we expect you to take extra care to prevent injuries by making sure measures are put in place that help reduce this risk and our guidelines are:
  • to follow the manufacturer’s or supplier’s safety recommendations
  • requiring children to remove sharp articles like shoes, buckles or jewellery
  • not allowing overcrowding, particularly by children (to help prevent knocking into each other)
  • not allowing a mix of large and small children at the same time (to avoid larger children crushing the smaller ones)
  • not allowing use by adults and children at the same time
  • not allowing any access to the very youngest children, e.g. under 2 years old
  • soft matting is used to cover hard surfaces adjacent to the front or any open sides where there is a risk of injury from falling from the inflatable.
    • Indoor Use:

In addition to the above you must ensure the following are adhered to:

  1. No inflatable must be higher than 2700mm / 3300mm to avoid damage to lighting etc.
  2. The inflatable must not interfere with / obstruct any parts of the building, ie ceilings / lighting, curtains or fire exits.
  3. It must not be secured to the floor in any way – weighted bags must be used that do not cause damage to the floor.
  4. The underside of the inflatable must not cause damage, ie scratching or indents to the hall floor so suitable protection should be laid under it.
  5. soft matting is used to cover hard surfaces adjacent to the front or any open sides where there is a risk of injury from falling from the inflatable.
  • We must also advise that we strongly advise you to ensure that the equipment if hired is fully insured as damage to it is not covered by our Policy.

If you are providing the inflatable yourself you must take out suitable Public Liability Insurance for the event if third parties (guests) are invited.

If you are unable to ensure that the provision / supervision of the inflatable will comply with these conditions you should not proceed with its use as you may be personally liable for any accidents / claims arising from its use.

We strongly recommend that you photograph the installation before and after use to help protect you should you need to provide evidence to insurers / statutory authorities.

You should also keep copies of any insurances offered by the hirer in case you are asked to produce them by any authorised statutory authority.

For larger outdoor inflatables you should check that it has been independently inspected and passed for safe use by the public and it is suitable for the use you intend to apply to it.