Pricemark Pty Ltd
Pricemark supplies a wide range of custom branded membership & RFID access products for the Health & Leisure Industry.
read moreAn 11-year-old boy has become the sixth fatality of Devonport’s Hillcrest Primary School tragedy as the hire company which is understood to have supplied the inflatable that was involved in the accident has removed its website and social media pages.
Tasmania Police Commissioner Darren Hine announced yesterday that the boy had died in hospital on Sunday morning, bringing to six the number of deaths among a group of children playing on a jumping castle during year-end celebrations on Thursday when a gust of wind sent it 10 metres into the air.
Commissioner Hine told reporters in Hobart “it is with a heavy heart that I can confirm a sixth child has lost his life following the tragedy.”
Two children remain in a critical condition in Royal Hobart Hospital and another child is in recovery at home.
Commissioner Hine went on to advise that an investigation into the incident by Tasmanian Police in conjunction with WorkSafe Tasmania is now underway, adding “we are working tirelessly with all parties concerned to ensure the extensive investigation is completed as a matter of priority for the Coroner.
“Their priority will be to interview all witnesses, gather and analyse forensic evidence at all in biomedical aspects including weather patterns and conditions of the time of this incident.”
He had earlier noted that there were close to 40 Year 5 and 6 students taking part in the end-of-term activities at the time of the incident.
While some reports have suggested a freak gust of wind made the jumping castle leave the ground, Australian Bureau of Meteorology data from nearby Devonport on Thursday indicated wind speeds near Hillcrest Primary did not exceed 39.6km/h - the wind speed above which standards say landborne inflatable devices should not be operated.
Key to the investigation will be how the jumping castle was anchored, with Commissioner Hine acknowledging “at this stage we don’t know how this particular castle was anchored down.”
With the Tasmanian Department of Education having announced a ban on jumping castles at all state schools following the incident, Taz-Zorb, the Launceston-based hire company which is understood to have supplied the inflatable that was involved in the accident, as well as zorb balls for the school event, has removed its website and Facebook pages, although the owner’s LinkedIn profile remains active.
The company’s website previously featured photos of zorb balls and a crayon-themed jumping castle, promoting it as being “brand new to Tasmania”.
ASIC documents show the company, Taz-Zorb, was registered in 2012, with a renewal date of May 2024.
Amid cancellations of jumping castle hires around the country, the Australian Amusement Association (AAA) has highlighted that inflatable devices “are not dangerous if they're operated correctly."
AAA spokesman Damian De Jong said the industry was "highly regulated" and problems generally only arose when "backyard operators" did not follow regulations.
As quoted by local Tasmanian newspaper the Northern Beaches Review, De Jong stated “from one incident, this is now going to impact us all. But just hope there's a balanced debate, not just calls for bans. Our industry has been very safe for a long time.
"(Jumping castle) are not dangerous if they're operated correctly."
Shane McGrath, President of the Australian Amusement, Leisure and Recreation Association (AALARA), which on Thursday advised that Taz-Zorb was not in its membership, said the Association had been rocked by the tragedy.
As quoted by local Tasmanian newspaper the Northern Beaches Review, McGrath stated “we are devastated ... guest safety is and will always remain the number one priority for our members - it is an area our industry must continually challenge itself on, to ensure the highest standards are met."
SafeWork Australia says devices can become airborne during strong wind gusts if jumping castles aren’t set up and operated correctly.
Its advice emphasises that inflatable devices should be secured and anchored with anchor points provided according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the School on Saturday, along with his wife Jenny, laying flowers at the site.
Earlier in Hobart, he pledged $800,000 in funding to provide counselling and mental health support to the tight-knit Tasmanian community.
$1 million has also been raised for the families of the victims through a GoFundMe page set up to help support the family and process their grief through the Christmas period.
Images: A jumping castle understood to be similar to the one at the centre of yesterday's tragedy (top) and the aftermath of an inflatable slide lifted into the air in Sydney in 2019 (below, courtesy of 7 News Sydney).
17th December 2021 - Tasmanian authorities introduce schools jumping castle ban
17th December 2021 - Insurer Sportscover surprised by Small Business Ombudsman’s support for attractions mutual fund
16th December 2021 - Five children dead after inflatable jumping castle blown into air at Tasmanian school
6th December 2021 - Small Business Ombudsman’s report calls for a Discretionary Mutual Fund as solution for amusement and attractions insurance challenges
18th November 2021 - Risk management the key to way out of attractions industry’s insurance crisis
25th October 2021 - AALARA urges members to respond to Australian Small Business Ombudsman’s insurance crisis interim report
20th October 2021 - Ombudsman’s insurance crisis report says ‘the show must go on’
25th August 2021 - Fair Work Ombudsman penalises former operators of Big Buoy Waterpark
2nd August 2021 - AALARA works through solution to insurance market challenges
21st June 2021 - Small Business Ombudsman launches review of AALARA’s Discretionary Mutual Fund proposal
3rd May 2021 - Moving to address industry insurance crisis AALARA releases survey on Discretionary Mutual Fund
19th March 2021 - Event industry suppliers circle Victorian Parliament in protest at lack of state government support
4th February 2020 - WorkSafe Queensland prosecution results in $50,000 fine following inflatable amusement ride injury
25th October 2019 - Children fall 8 metres to the ground after winds lift inflatable slide into the air in Western Sydney
16th January 2019 - New solution to fix tears on inflatable play equipment
13th July 2017 - Royal Adelaide Show ride owners fined $157,000 over child’s death, but unlikely to pay up
25th October 2015 - Weekend incidents put focus on fairground ride safety
29th October 2014 - Uncertainty surrounds future of inflatable play standard
14th October 2014 - Showman’s Guild of Tasmania makes assurances on carnival ride safety
15th February 2014 - Canadian study shows landborne inflatables account for 42% of amusement injuries
14th December 2012 - WorkSafe Queensland issues health and safety exemptions for inflatables
Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?
As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.
The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.
Pricemark supplies a wide range of custom branded membership & RFID access products for the Health & Leisure Industry.
read moreGladstone Health & Leisure (Gladstone MRM Pty Ltd Australia) is a leading supplier of leisure management and fitness software and is endorsed by leading health and fitness professionals and…
read moreBH Fitness, part of the long-standing and iconic bike manufacturer BH Group, is a global leader in fitness equipment for both Commercial and Home markets. The company, with the headquarters based in…
read moreA leading designer and manufacturer of innovative waterslides and attractions, Australian Waterslides and Leisure (AWL) is also able to advise clients in the areas of concept and design, feasibility…
read moreTPEC Pool Enclosures provide a large range of premium commercial and residential retractable swimming pool, spa and terrace enclosures throughout Australia, servicing residential, local government…
read moreTJS Services is a leading national facility services provider. We deliver quality cleaning, maintenance, construction and facility management services to over 1,500 sites Australia wide. Our…
read moreLinks Modular Solutions was a leading provider of high-quality, innovative software solutions for aquatic and recreation facilities. Links Modular Solutions is now part of Xplor Technologies.
read moreHidroplay welcomes you to the exciting world of children's Playscapes, waterslide's and Water Attractions. Appealing to families, Hidroplay increases patronage in your facility during those…
read moreGet your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!