Inflatable amusement facilities found unsafe by inspectors

The facilities have never been tested or approved.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Children at school (photo credit: INGIMAGE / ASAP)
Children at school
(photo credit: INGIMAGE / ASAP)
There are numerous inflated play facilities meant for children that do not meet safety standards and could endanger their lives, according to Grisha Deitch, the longtime head of standards at the Economics Ministry. Such facilities have never been tested or approved. He urged parents to make sure to be careful and follow safety rules, including the use of safe facilities by children only up to the age of 14.
The unlicensed and potentially unsafe inflatables Deitch identified are Balagani (www.balaganirent.co.il), Sky Up (www.sky-up.co.il)and Yosi Jump (www.yosijump.co.il). Deitch decided, as required by law, to publicize the names of operators of such facilities so the public would be warned.
According to the Standards Institution, such facilities must be in good operating condition, well maintained, and have a well-trained staff operating it. Every such facility must have a sign explaining its use and undergo an annual safety inspection.
But Deitch said there are entrepreneurs who refuse to cooperate with the authorities and endanger the safety of children.
If the inflated devices are torn, have sharp edges, are not inflated properly or attached safely, they can pose a danger to children.