Bouncy castles are a popular addition to outdoor events and parties, but what happens when extreme weather occurs? While bouncy castles are designed to withstand normal weather conditions, they can become unsafe in severe weather conditions. This blog post will discuss how and whether it is possible to safely use bouncy castles in extreme weather conditions.
Protecting Your Bouncy Castle in the Heat
During the summer months, high temperatures can cause bouncy castles to become hot and uncomfortable for users. Protecting your bouncy castle from direct sunlight is important by ensuring it is set up in a shaded area. It's also important to keep the bouncy castle clean and free of debris to prevent overheating. In addition to this, ensure that users wear long sleeves and full trousers to prevent burns.
Precautions During High Winds
In windy conditions, bouncy castles can be dangerous. Before setting up your bouncy castle, check the weather forecast for wind speeds and, most importantly, predicted gust speeds. If wind gusts are expected to exceed 24 mph, it's best to move the event indoors or postpone the event. A reputable bouncy castle company will contact you in advance to discuss this. If conditions are safe, your hire company will secure the bouncy castle with the correct stakes, which are 300mm x 16mm.
Rainy Day Precautions
Many outdoor Bouncy Castles have a showerproof cover however, this does not completely stop the rain from getting in so in a downpour, users will still get wet! You will also see the bouncy castle bed bubble as the air from the fan pushes the water through the seams –this is perfectly normal and doesn’t indicate a problem. Of course, there are many inflatables such as slides, assault courses and inflatable games that do not have a rain cover. In these cases, rain can be a bouncy castle's worst enemy. This is because it makes the surface slippery and therefore some inflatables such as an assault course or bungee run may cause users to slide and hurt themselves. If rain is in the forecast and you are hoping to use one of these inflatables, you may want to consider moving the event indoors. However, it’s extremely rare that it rains all day long. Most hire companies will still set up the inflatable and advise you to keep some old towels handy to dry it off when the rain stops.
Bouncy castles are a fun addition to outdoor events, but it’s important to use them safely in extreme weather conditions. Protecting your bouncy castle from high temperatures, monitoring windy conditions, and taking precautions during rainy weather can help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all users. Remember to always prioritise safety when using bouncy castles in extreme weather conditions. And if your hire company has to cancel due to extreme weather, please remember this decision is never taken lightly and is always about the safety of your children.
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