“What goes up must come down.” – A saying that is so familiar that you seem to forget especially when you are happily jumping off the trampoline. Suddenly, you realize that you are lying on your back after a hard fall. Or worst, your child falls hard on his back 10 feet from the air after jumping off from your newly purchased trampoline.

Year after year, tens of thousands of children had been rushed to the emergency room simply because they forgot all about trampoline safety and gravity. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that in 1998, 95,000 Americans had been involved with trampoline-related accidents. The worst was that 75 percent of them were children at the age under 14 and under. Injuries ranged from simple bruises to broken bones and trauma. Fortunately, death was a very rare occurrence.

Nevertheless, you need to know how to protect yourselves and your children when using trampoline.

Trampoline basic safety tips are the following:

1. Setting up

o Read carefully the instructions and users manual provided by the trampoline manufacturer. Take note of the weight capacity, materials used, and other safety accessories that must be purchased.

o When setting up your trampoline, choose a safe place away from trees, low ceiling, swimming pool, and furniture. As a rule, place your trampoline on an area with at least 6 meters (20 unobstructed feet) of ceiling or any overhead obstruction and a minimum of 3 meters away (10 feet) from any obstructions on all sides of the trampoline bouncing surface.

o When you did not finish the set up, keep your trampoline in places where your children do not have access to. Since children are more excited to use it than you do, they may try it whether it is complete or half-built.

2. You and your trampoline

o Do not jump off from the trampoline.

o Control your jump at all times. Keep it low especially if you are only a beginner.

o Learn how to land before jumping off.

o Do not bounce when you are tired. Observe a period of rest after jumping for a while.

o Never use the trampoline when you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol. (Never use prohibited drugs.)

o Do not attempt stunts such as twisting somersaults, multiple somersaults, back flips, and other acrobatics on your backyard trampoline.