An alert this week from the
Consumer Product Safety Commission:
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers to stop participating in a new type of water-related recreational activity, due to the potential risks of suffocation and drowning. The activity is called water walking and the water walking ball has numerous brand or ride names.
The fact that the product has no emergency exit and can be opened only by a person outside of the ball significantly heightens the risk of injury or death when a person inside the ball experiences distress...
An individual climbs into the large, see-through plastic ball; it is inflated with a blower through the zipper opening; and the zipper is closed, making the ball air-tight. The ball, with the person locked inside, then rolls around on a number of surfaces, including water, ice, or grass. The product is most commonly used by children and is used mainly as a ride in amusement parks, carnivals, malls, sporting events and other high-traffic areas. The product is also sold directly to the public for personal use.
Several states have banned or refused to provide permits for rides that use this product. CPSC is aware of two incidents involving this product. In one incident, a child was found unresponsive after being inside the ball for a very brief period of time, and emergency medical treatment was sought. In the second incident, a person inside of a ball suffered a fracture when the ball fell out of the shallow, above-ground pool onto the hard ground.
CPSC is warning consumers that there is a combination of risks associated with this product, including the potential for suffocation, as well as the potential for drowning and impact injuries. Because the ball is airtight, an inadequate air supply can result when oxygen is depleted and carbon dioxide accumulates inside the ball. Such a dangerous scenario can occur in as little as a few minutes...
More at the link.
This is starting to look like lawn darts, albeit with inflatable balls that can only be opened from the outside. Who thought that was safe?
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't a good idea in 2000 A.D. comics from about 25 years ago and it isn't a good idea now.
ReplyDeleteI saw these recently, and would have gone on if I'd had time.
ReplyDeleteThe issues described sound to me like issues best solved by requiring licensing for operators rather than by banning the balls outright. A responsible operator would provide supervision adequate to prevent such occurences.
looks like fun. But id try it only if im allowed to carry a knife in case of emergency...
ReplyDeleteFor relatively short durations I think the oxygen situation would be OK. What worries me is that this has about the worst failure mode imaginable.
ReplyDeleteIf your ball springs a leak you rapidly find yourself sinking into the water while a plastic bag smothers you from above. It would be very scary indeed.