Trampoline related injuries in the Bay of Plenty have cost ACC $5.5m to help people recover.

In the past 10 years, there have been 8305 trampoline related injuries in the Bay of Plenty region.

In 2020, there were 848 trampoline related injuries in the Bay of Plenty which cost more than $536,000.

Nationally, ACC accepted 12,669 trampoline related injury claims in 2020 which came at a cost of $10.6 million, which was the highest cost in the past 10 years.

ACC Injury Prevention Leader Kirsten Malpas says having fun on the trampoline is a huge part of growing up as a kid in New Zealand.

'I remember when I was a kid, I would spent hours with my mates on the tramp, making up games and having fun and that is still the same today for my kids which is awesome, it is a place where you learn and grow,” she says.

'But because of this, the trampoline is a place where a lot of injuries can happen and many of these incidents are preventable.

'We want whanau all over Aotearoa to have fun, enjoy their time together and to play safely on their trampolines without injury.”

Mum Andrea Fountain had a stressful day in 2018 when her 13-month-old daughter Winnie fractured her collarbone in a trampoline injury.

'Like a typical older brother, Waimana wanted his sister off the tramp and gave her a good push through the flaps.

'Winnie has a real death grip and she held onto the netting for dear life before she fell, and the force broke her collarbone.”

Winnie with her older brother Waimana.

Andrea had her hands full. She was home alone with two young kids and she can still feel the stress and the drama from the incident.

'It was pretty stressful. Winnie was in a lot of pain and she wouldn't stop crying,” she says. 'I gave her a bottle to settle her down, but she couldn't drink it because she couldn't lift her arm. I knew then it was serious, and her arm was broken.”

Winnie had X-rays which confirmed the fracture and were told that it would take up to six weeks for her collarbone to heal.

ACC covered all of her medical expenses to help her rehabilitation.

'Having an injured child is not easy, especially when they are young and you are trying to get them dressed, bathed and fed. It was a challenging time there for a while.”

Kirsten says the recovery time varies for a fracture, but they typically take six to eight weeks to heal.

'It means that kids are out of action for a long period and unable to do the things that they love like playing other sport or music or swimming this summer,” she says.

ACC claims data shows falls were the leading cause of trampoline-related injuries.

The falls were in three main types: (1) off the tramp – onto grass, pebbles, concrete, ground surface, (2) on to the metal frame/edge or trampoline/bars/springs and (3) through the safety net or springs.

Other causes of injury include colliding with others on the trampoline, landing on objects on the trampoline and jumping onto the tramp from outside from a tree or fence.

With the introduction of safety nets, pads and zips, trampolines have come a long way in the past 20 years and Kirsten encouraged families who own older models to ensure they have pads covering the springs and metal frames.

She says the most common injuries from trampoline accidents are ankle sprain (12 per cent) and neck sprain (eight per cent).

The data also shows that of fractures occurred in 80 per cent of trampoline-related hospital admissions.

'Many of these injuries are preventable so we recommend taking your time to assess the risk and make sure your trampoline is in a safe place to avoid injury.”

Tips for safe use on Trampolines - SafeKids Aotearoa

-Actively supervise children

Reinforce safety rules, including only one person using the trampoline at a time

-Ensure the trampoline meets the New Zealand or Australian safety standard. The New Zealand standard is NZS 5855:1997 Consumer safety specification for components, assembly, and use of a trampoline.

-Follow manufacturer's guidelines for assembly, positioning, maintenance, and us

-Always use safety pads

-Ensure pads and nets are correctly installed

-Regularly inspect and maintain trampoline, and replace damaged parts

-No water, detergent, or other objects on the trampoline

Bay of Plenty Trampoline injuries fact box

In the past 10 years, there have been 8305 trampoline related injuries in the Bay of Plenty region which came at a cost of $5.5m to help people recover.

In 2020 there were 848 trampoline related injuries in the Bay of Plenty which cost more than $536,000.

ACC accepted claims for 12,669 trampoline related injuries in 2020 which came at a cost of $10.6 million to help people recover.

This cost was the highest in the past 10 years.