Bounce, an indoor trampoline and adventure centre, has been fined $40,000 after a young boy fell 4 meters from a climbing wall, suffering serious injuries.
Initially, the company was fined $12,500, but the penalty was increased after an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The then 11-year-old boy had been using the climbing wall with two of his friends.
On their third attempt, the trio decided to race each other to the top.
In the excitement of the moment, the boy failed to properly clip into the harness system.
After reaching the top, he pressed the timer button and pushed off, expecting to be lowered slowly.
Instead, he fell 4 meters, fracturing his sternum and suffering soft tissue injuries to his back.
WorkSafe Victoria launched an investigation and found that Bounce did not have adequate supervision in place for customers using the climbing area.
The safety watchdog also revealed that customers were not properly informed about safety rules.
These lapses contributed to the tragic accident that turned what should have been a fun day out into a painful experience for the boy and his family.
Bounce pleaded guilty to two charges related to the incident and was fined $12,500 by the Geelong Magistrates Court without conviction.
However, following the appeal, Victoria’s County Court set aside the original sentence and imposed a higher fine of $40,000, along with over $5,000 in costs.
WorkSafe’s executive director of Health and Safety, Sam Jenkin, expressed deep concern over the incident.
“What should have been a fun activity turned into a nightmare for this child and his family,” Jenkin said.
He stressed that Bounce was responsible for ensuring proper supervision and safety instructions for all participants.
“Ensuring patrons are appropriately supervised, briefing them on how to use equipment safely, and making sure a parent or guardian accompanies children are simple but crucial steps that could prevent such accidents,” Jenkin added.
