Walmart Trampoline Recall Issued Due to Defective Safety Net

About 92,000 trampolines sold exclusively at Walmart have been recalled as a result of problems with the safety nets, which have allowed people to fall and suffer broken bones, back and neck injuries. 

The Walmart Sportspower BouncePro Trampoline recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on May 9, after the manufacturer, Sportspower Limited, received at least 17 reports of the nets breaking, allowing children to fall through the netting.

Consumer complaints included at least 11 reported injuries with broken bones, contusions and injuries to the neck or back. The CPSC has not indicated how many of those injured were adults or children.

The recall affects the Sportspower BouncePro 14′ Trampoline with UPC codes 68706404210 and 68706404244. The trampolines have brown mesh netting and “Sportspower BouncePro 14” and “TR-14-63-A” printed on a plate on the leg of the frame. A six-foot high brown netting surrounds the trampoline.

The trampolines were sold exclusively at Walmart for about $275 from February 2009 through February 2012.

The CPSC recommends that consumers stop using the trampolines immediately and contact the company to receive a replacement black netting. Consumers with questions can call Sportspower at (866) 370-2131 or (888) 965-0565, or they can visit the company’s website at http://www.sportspowerltd.net/recall-bouncepro-14ft.html.

At home trampolines have been widely recognized as dangerous products, especially for children.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that trampolines never be purchased for home use, and that parents should not to allow their children to play on trampolines at the homes of others. In addition, the American Medical Association has also urged parents not to allow children to play on trampolines.

A recent study by Rhode Island Hospital researchers found that an average of 88,563 children are taken to the emergency room every year for a trampoline injury, with 95% involving injuries that happen on home trampolines. The study was presented at a 2007 American Academy of Pediatrics annual meeting and showed a significant increase in trampoline injuries from previous years.

Adults using trampolines are encouraged to read all material provided by a manufacturer, make sure shock-absorbing material is laid down under and around the trampoline, periodically check the trampoline for wear, and to never use the trampoline during hours of darkness. Users are also encouraged to do warm up exercises before using trampolines and not to dismount by jumping off.

Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported that more than half of all trampoline injuries, adult or child, occurred when there were two or more people using a trampoline simultaneously.