Rules for inflatables' safety seen as lacking

A fatal fall at an indoor playground in Wichita has raised questions about a system that many say does little to monitor the industry or ensure the safety of children who play on inflatable amusements.

"The moonbounce rides look rather benign... but they're not toys," said Jim Barber, spokesman for the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials.

"They can be very dangerous."

Five-year-old Matthew Branham died Monday after falling from an inflatable ride at Pure Entertainment, an entertainment complex near Kellogg and Tyler.

Duane Zogleman, owner of Moonwalks For Fun Inc., which holds licenses for the equipment inside Pure Entertainment, said his company is properly licensed, insured and safe.

"We meet every requirement" of a city ordinance that regulates portable amusement rides, Zogleman said Friday.

Documents obtained by The Eagle show that Moonwalks For Fun carries at least $1 million liability insurance and paid the $600 annual fee required for businesses that operate more than 50 rides.

Records also include 38 certificates of inspection signed by Jesse Zogleman, Duane Zogleman's son and manager of Pure Entertainment. Duane Zogleman confirmed that Jesse Zogleman inspected the rides used by his business, which is allowed under the ordinance.

"It doesn't require that the inspector be independent" from the business, said Kurt Schroeder, Wichita's superintendent of central inspection. "As long as the inspector is certified."

However, city officials were not certain the scribbled signature on the half-page inspection certificates was Zogleman's. The name is not typed or printed anywhere in the documents. There is no standard inspection form, Schroeder said; inspectors create and submit their own.

Schroeder also could not say whether Zogleman is currently certified to inspect amusement rides.

"It probably would be best, obviously, if we had a typed or printed name somewhere" in the documents, Schroeder said.

No state regulation

Like many other states, Kansas does not regulate inflatable amusement rides. Some in the industry say the city ordinance, prompted by a Ferris wheel accident that seriously injured a Wichita girl in 2005, doesn't go far enough to ensure safety.

"How can you turn in an inspection just saying, 'Yeah, it's good to go?' " said Rex Lewellen, owner of a local carnival company and ride inspection firm.

Lewellen has urged city officials in the past to adopt stricter rules for inflatable ride companies. He thinks inspections should be done by highly trained, "Level 3" National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials inspectors, who are required to attend yearly training on safe practices for old and new rides.

Lewellen inspects rides for several local companies, including Pump It Up, an indoor playground in east Wichita. For each ride he inspects, he submits a full-page form that evaluates bracing, tie-downs, electrical circuit grounding and more than two dozen other line items.

But more important than inspections, Lewellen said, is supervision. Anyone operating an inflatable ride should be required to have at least one trained attendant monitor the ride at all times, he said.

"One of the things we constantly preach to people is, 'Do not turn your back on this ride when it's running,' " Lewellen said.

"Maybe it gets boring when you're standing there watching them bounce and bounce and bounce. But people do crazy things, and it's up to the operator to make sure they're following the rules."

Minnesota accident

Jennifer Rosenberger's son, Grant, was 8 when he hit his head and suffered a brain injury while attending a birthday party at a Pump It Up franchise in Burnsville, Minn.

Earlier this month she testified in favor of a proposed Minnesota law that would require inflatable indoor parks to have trained staff on hand to supervise rides. The law, which has had broad support and is awaiting a final vote, would take effect Aug. 1.

Under the bill's provisions, owners of such facilities would have to follow the manufacturers' recommended safety guidelines for each inflatable amusement device, and have at least one trained staff person on hand to actively supervise each ride.

"When you take your child there, you expect it to be safe," Rosenberger said.

"It's common sense. It's like putting your child in a seat belt and buckling them up. We have all kinds of rules and regulations to keep them safe."

"We really want the people working at these facilities to know the manuals and to follow the rules," she said. "And to make sure children follow the rules."

Role of the user

Zogleman, the Moonwalks For Fun owner, said he doesn't think stricter regulations will prevent tragedies like the one in Wichita last week.

He said people on the ride with Matthew before he fell were using the equipment improperly. Trained ride attendants were working inside the facility, Zogleman said, but no one was supervising that ride.

"The city doesn't have enough staff to monitor and take care of the laws that are on the books right now, let alone enacting new ones, especially in this financial crunch," Zogleman said.

"We're doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our patrons. ... The reality is, you depend on people to use good judgment. It's no different than a playground or bowling alley or anywhere else families go."

This story was originally published March 28, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Rules for inflatables' safety seen as lacking."