Trampoline safety

January is a bad month for trampoline-related injuries. Twenty-five children were admitted to Auckland's Starship Children's Hospital in January 2007 after coming to grief on their new gift.

Injuries occur when kids fall off or hit the side of the trampoline. There are also risks for young children who wander underneath the trampoline while another child bounces above.

If you buy a trampoline for Christmas (or any other time), consider sensible rules for your children to follow. Here are 8 basic tips:

• Make sure that the trampoline is set up on even, grassy ground. The area should be clear of fences, trees and other obstacles.
• Cover the springs and frames with securely fastened pads.
• Place soft materials (like wood chips or bark) under and around the trampoline.
• Use the trampoline only when the mat is dry.
• Allow only one person on the trampoline at a time.
• Climb off the trampoline - don't bounce off.
• Check the wear and tear on the trampoline regularly.
• Supervise small inexperienced children while they bounce.

Springfree trampolines and safety nets

There has been a varied response to trampoline related injuries. The Australian Consumer Organisation Choice recommends trampolines as one of ten toys that you shouldn't buy your kids. In New Zealand (as in the UK) the Society of Physiotherapists recommends that you erect netting around the outside of your trampoline to stop children falling off.

"Springfree" trampolines were invented in New Zealand by a professor at Canterbury University. A small Springfree Trampoline retails for $1299. Their mats are supported by flexible fibreglass rods rather than metal springs. The mat sits upon the rods and is encircled by a net which makes it nigh on impossible to fall off or injure yourself on the steel frame.

Springfree Trampoline's Josh Hill says that the net will repel a 100kg person travelling at 25km/h. They come with a one-year warranty and an ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standard.

Unfortunately not all nets are created equal. While some are robust, others just give that impression. Victor Boyd says: "You'll find many nets on low end products - and they're flimsily built. Boys are also inclined to use them as boxing-type rings."

New Zealand trampoline coach Angie Dougal isn't a fan of safety nets either: "Large safety nets are great for pre-schoolers - it gives them a big bouncy play-pen. But older kids don't learn how to control their bodies if they're encircled by a safety net."